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Red  Indian  fairy  book 


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UNIVERSITY  OF  N.C.  AT  CHAPEL  HILL 


00022226896 


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Pag?  229 
WHEN   THE    YELLOW    HORNED    SERPENT    HEARD   THE 
STRANGE   MUSIC,    HE   WAS   CHARMED 


:■  £ 

\  The  i 

Red  Indian  Fairy  Book  j; 

For  the  Children's  Own  Reading 
and  for  Story-Tellers 


i; 


By  Frances  Jenkins  Olcott 


:-  .T^v 


*•.»....—•* 


i 


With  Illustrations  ■" 

By  Frederick  Richardson  \* 


> 


Boston  and  New  York 
Houghton  Mifflin  Company 

ffifce  Riticr;sibe  ^rejste  Cambribge 


V.V/JV^^M/AT^AVA^^/J'ArAWiWW^rtAVArAW^AftV.I 


COPYRIGHT,    1917,    BY   FRANCES  JENKINS   OLCOTT   AND   HOUGHTON   MIFFLIN   COMPANY 


ALL    RIGHTS    RESERVED 


Published  September  iqiy 


TO 

ROBERT  YATES  PHILLIPS 

WHO  LOVES  INDIAN  STORIES 


ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 

Acknowledgements  are  due  the  following  au- 
thors and  publishers  for  stories  or  themes  taken 
from  their  books:  — 

To  The  Abingdon  Press,  for  "Why  Wild 
Roses  Have  Thorns,"  and  "  How  Maple  Sugar 
Came,"  from  Algonquin  Indian  Tales \  collected 
by  Egerton  R.  Young,  copyrighted  1903. 

To  Mr.  W.  W.  Canfield,  for  the  "  Legend  of  the 
Violet,"  and  the  "  Legend  of  the  Trailing  Arbu- 
tus," from  his  Legends  of  the  Iroquois,  published 
by  A.  Wessels  Company. 

To  Mr.  W.  E.  Connelley,  for  "The  Singing 
Maidens,"  and  "The  Star  Maiden,"  from  a  pub- 
lication of  the  Geological  Survey  of  Canada,  and 
from  his  Wyandot  Folk-Lore,  published  by  Crane 
and  Company. 

To  the  Haskell  Institute,  for  "  The  Noisy  Chip- 
munk," from  Indian  Legends  and  Superstitions, 
published  by  the  Institute. 

To  Houghton  Mifflin  Company,  for  "Little 
Burnt-Face,"  "The  Summer  Fairies,"  "How  the 


viii  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 

Hunter  Became  a  Partridge,"  "  How  Partridge 
Built  the  Birds'  Canoes,"  "The  Wind-Blower," 
"Pitcher  the  Witch,"  "The  Wishes,"  "The 
Mikumwess,"  "The  First  Pine  Trees,"  "How 
Master  Rabbit  Went  Fishing,"  "The  Wood- 
pecker Girls,"  and  "Bad  Wild  Cat,"  from  C.  G. 
Leland's  Algonquin  Legends  of  New  England. 

To  the  New  York  State  Museum,  for  "The 
Elves,"  "The  Sky  Elk,"  "Legend  of  the  Morn- 
ing Star,"  "Ahneah  the  Rose  Flower,"  "The 
Silver  Brooches,"  "The  Spirit  of  the  Corn,"  "The 
Nuts  of  Jonisgyont,"  "  Jowiis  and  the  Eagles," 
"The  Discontented  Rock,"  and  "How  the  Four 
Winds  were  Named,"  from  Mrs.  H.  M.  Con- 
verse's Myths  and  Legends  of  the  New  York 
State  Iroquois. 

To  G.  P.  Putnam's  Sons,  for  "The  Ugly  Wild 
Boy,"  and  "The  Poor  Turkey  Girl,"  from  F. 
H.  Cushing's  Zuhi  Folk-Tales. 

To  Mr.  Walter  McClintock,  for  "Scar- Face," 
"The  Star  Bride,"  and  "The  Hidden  Waters," 
from  his  Old  North  Trail ;  or,  Life,  Legends,  and 
Religion  of  the  Blackfeet  Indians,  published  by 
The  Macmillan  Company. 


ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS  ix 

Thanks  are  also  due  the  following  for  material 
drawn  from  their  publications:  American  Anti- 
quarian, American  Folk- Lore  Society,  American 
Museum  of  Natural  History,  Bureau  of  American 
Ethnology,  Geological  Survey  of  Canada,  Car- 
negie Institute  of  Washington,  Field  Columbian 
Museum,  Smithsonian  Institution,  University  of 
California ;  and  also  to  the  Brooklyn  Public  Lib- 
rary for  the  use  of  its  valuable  folk-lore  collec- 
tion at  the  Montague  Branch. 


CONTENTS 

Introduction xvii 

April  the  Month  of  Spring  and  Rainbows 

The  Spring  Beauty  {Chippewa) 3 

Little  Dawn  Boy  and  the  Rainbow  Trail  {Navaho)         ...  7 

The  Meadow  Dandelion  {Chippewa) 14 

\.      Little  Burnt-Face  {Micmac) 17 

May  the  Month  of  Flowers  and  Birds 

The  Elves  {Iroquois).       . 25 

Woodpecker  Gray  {Wyandot) 29 

The  Kind  Hawk  {Hopi) 31 

The  Boy  who  became  a  Robin  (  Chippewa) 33 

Legend  of  the  Violet  {Iroquois) 37 

The  Star  and  the  Water  Lilies  (  Chippewa)       .....  40 

June  the  Beautiful  Month 

Why  Wild  Roses  have  Thorns  {Salteaux)   .       .       .        .        .        •  45 

How  the  Fairies  came  {Algonquin) 49 

The  Summer  Fairies  {Algonquin) 54 

Leelinau  the  Fairy  Girl  {Chippewa) 57 

The  Sky  Elk  {Iroquois) 60 

Legend  of  the  Morning  Star  {Iroquois) 63 


V 


xii  CONTENTS 

July  the  Hot  Month 

The  Firebird  {Whullemooch) 69 

Young-Boy-Chief  {Wichita') 73 

The  Star  Bride  {Blackfoot) 80 

Scar-Face  {Blackfoot)  </ 84 

Ahneah  the  Rose  Flower  {Iroquois)    . 88 

August  the  Month  of  Water  and  Forests 

Legend  of  Niagara  and  the  Great  Lakes  {Chippewa)  95 

How  the  Hunter  became  a  Partridge  {Passamaquoddy)     ...  98 
How  Partridge  built  the  Birds'  Canoes  {Passamaquoddy)         .        .102 

The  Noisy  Chipmunk  {Yakima) 105 

The  Wind-Blower  {Micmac) 108 

The  Silver  Brooches  {Attributed  to  the  Mohawk)        .       .        .        .ill 

September  the  Corn  Month 

How  Indian  Corn  came  into  the  World  (  Chippewa)         .        .        .117 

The  Spirit  of  the  Corn  {Iroquois) 123 

The  Little  Corn-Bringer  {Hopi) 126 

October  the  Month  of  Nuts  and  Witches 

The  Nuts  of  Jonisgyont  {Iroquois) 133 

Little  Owl  Boy  {Arapaho) 142 

The  Chestnut  Kettle  {Iroquois) 152 


CONTENTS  xiii 

The  Ugly  Wild  Boy  (Zuni) 158 

Pitcher  the  Witch  and  the  Black  Cats  {Algonquin)        .       .        .165 

November  the  Month  of  Fun  and  Rating 

Coyote  the  Hungry  {Caddo) 175 

Coyote  the  Proud  (Pima) 181 

The  Magic  Windpipe  (Arikara) 183 

The  Birds'  Ball-Game  (Cherokee) .189 

Why  the  Turkey  Gobbles  (  Cherokee) 1 94 

The  Land  of  the  Northern  Lights  (Algonquin) 196 

The  Poor  Turkey  Girl  (Zuni)  i^f 199 

December  the  Month  of  Gifts 

The  Mud  Pony  (Skidi  Pawnee) 211 

The  Wishes  (Micmac) 220 

The  Mikumwess  (Micmac) 225 

The  First  Pine  Trees  (Micmac) 234 

The  Hidden  Waters  (Iroquois) 237 

January  the  Cold  Month 

Jowiis  and  the  Eagles  (Iroquois) 243 

Shingebiss  (Chippewa) 246 

The  Boy  in  the  Jug  (Hopi) 250 

The  Brother  and  Sister  (Arapaho) 253 

The  Snow  Man  (Menominee) 263 


V 


xiv  CONTENTS 

February  the  Month  of  the  Sky  and  Rocks 

The  Rolling  Rock  (Flathead} 271 

The  Boy  in  the  Moon  (Vuntakutchin) 276 

The  Discontented  Rock  (Iroquois') 278 

Legends  of  the  Pleiades 

The  Singing  Maidens  (Wyandot') 282 

The  Star  Maiden  (  Wyandot) 285 

March  the  Month  of  the  Rabbit  and  Spring 

How  Maple-Sugar  Came  (Salteaux) 291 

Mishosha  or  the  Enchanted  Sugar-Maple  (Chippewa)     .        .        .  295 

How  Master  Rabbit  Went  Fishing  (Micmac) 306 

The  Woodpecker  Girls  (Micmac) 309 

Bad  Wild  Cat  (Passamaquoddy) 31Z 

How  the  Four  Winds  Were  Named  (Iroquois) 319 

Legend  of  the  Trailing  Arbutus  (Iroquois) 323 

Subject  Index  for  Story-Tellers 329 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

When  the  Yellow  Horned  Serpent  heard  the  Strange  Music,  he 
was  charmed Frontispiece 

Little  Dawn  Boy  on  the  Rainbow  Bridge  {page  id)  .  Dedication-page 
Shawondasee  and  the  Meadow  Dandelion  {page  16)  .  .  .  .  3 
She  had  plaited  her  Hair  about  the  Neck  of  the  Young  Man 

{page  39) 2S 

Nanahboozhoo  and  the  Wild  Roses  {page  48)    .....     45 

As  HE  WENT  UP  HE  SHOT  MANY  SlGHING  ARROWS   {page  6z)    .        facing      60 

The  Firebird  and  the  Poor  Woman  {page  71) 69 

The  Young  Man  and  the  Wind  Bird  {page  109)  .  .  .  -95 
Wunzh  and  the  Indian  Corn  {page  120) 117 

NUKDAGO  PRONOUNCING  JUDGMENT  AGAINST    THE  FrOG  AND  THE  WoOD- 

chuck  {page  138).        .        . 133 

They  saw  him  begin  to  go  round  and  round  the  Robe      .      facing  150 

Coyote  and  Opossum  {page  175) 175 

A  Number  of  Young  Turkeys  playing  on  a  Hillside  {page  177) 

facing  178 

Glooskap  and  the  Three  Brothers  {page  235) zn 

Jowiis  and  the  Bald  Eagle  {page  244) 243 

Immediately  the  Bear  came  pacing   through   the  Timber   {page 
261) faf>"g  262 

The  Seven  Maidens  dancing  on  the  Beach  {page  285       .        .        .271 

The  Bear  who  became  the  North  Wind  {page  319)  .       .        .       .291 

Sputtering,  Shivering,  and  almost  Frozen  {page  308)     .      facing  306 


INTRODUCTION 

Here  are  sixty-four  stories  of  the  Red  Men,  tell- 
ing of  Magic,  Mystery,  and  Fairies.  Most  of  them 
are  Nature  stories  —  poetic  fancies  of  the  Indi- 
ans about  birds,  beasts,  flowers,  and  rocks  of  our 
American  meadows,  prairies,  and  forests.  Here 
also  are  tales  of  the  Wind,  Rainbow,  Sun,  Moon, 
and  Stars.  A  few  moral  stories,  tender  and  sim- 
ple, like  "  Little  Burnt-Face,"  are  included.  Indian 
customs,  and  life  in  the  wigwam  and  forest,  are 
all  here. 

The  tales  are  arranged  according  to  the  Sea- 
sons. There  are  some  for  early  Spring,  when  the 
maple  sap  mounts,  and  the  arbutus  blooms  under 
the  snow ;  for  later  Spring,  when  the  birds  nest, 
and  the  wild  flowers  blow ;  for  Summer,  with  its 
heat,  storms,  fishing,  and  canoeing ;  for  Autumn, 
with  its  corn,  nuts,  Witch- Night,  and  harvest 
feast;  for  Winter,  with  its  ice,  snow,  and  adven- 
tures. 

In  choosing  themes  for  these  stories,  a  large 


xviii  INTRODUCTION 

body  of  folklore  of  many  tribes  has  been  gone 
over.  In  retelling,  all  that  is  coarse,  fierce,  and 
irrational  has  been  eliminated  as  far  as  possible, 
and  the  moral  and  fanciful  elements  retained.  The 
plots  have  been  more  closely  constructed,  and 
retold  in  the  direct  manner  interesting  to  children. 
The  character  and  spirit  of  the  original  stories 
have  been  carefully  preserved,  as  may  be  seen  by 
comparing  the  elemental  tales  of  the  Caddo  and 
Vuntakutchin  Indians  with  the  more  highly  de- 
veloped, poetic  ones  of  the  Algonquin  or  Iroquois 
tribes. 

The  reader  may  be  surprised  at  the  absence  of 
the  benign  "Great  Spirit"  who  figures  in  many 
modern  Indian  tales.  But  the  truth  is,  he  is  not 
to  be  found  in  aboriginal  Red  Indian  mythology. 
To  quote  from  Mr.  Leland's  Algonquin  Legends, 
11 1  do  not  believe  that  the  idea  of  a  Great  Spirit, 
in  the  sense  in  which  it  is  generally  used  by  In- 
dians, or  is  attributed  to  them,  was  ever  known 
till  learned  from  the  whites."  The  Second  Annual 
Report  of  the  Bureau  of  American  Ethnology 
says,  "  The  '  Great  Spirit,'  so  popularly  and  poeti- 
cally known  as  the  god  of  the  Red  Man,  and  the 


INTRODUCTION  xix 

'Happy  Hunting-Ground,'  generally  reported  to 
be  the  Indian's  idea  of  a  future  state,  are  both  of 
them  but  their  ready  conception  of  the  white  man's 
God  and  Heaven." 

Most  of  these  tales  have  been  issued  for  story- 
tellers, in  the  columns  of  the  Saturday  Magazine 
of  the  New  York  Evening  Post.  So  the  stories  are 
not  only  for  the  children's  own  reading,  but  they 
form  a  storehouse  of  Red  Indian  Nature  myths, 
suitable  for  story-telling  in  homes,  schools,  and 
libraries.  To  aid  the  story-teller,  a  subject  index 
is  appended  on  page  329. 


APRIL  THE  MONTH   OF  SPRING 
AND  RAINBOWS 


The  Red  Indian  Fairy  Book 

THE   SPRING   BEAUTY 

(Chippewa) 

An  old  man  was  sitting  in  his  lodge,  by  the  side  of 
a  frozen  stream.  It  was  the  end  of  Winter,  the  air 
was  not  so  cold,  and  his  fire  was  nearly  out.  He 
was  old  and  alone.  His  locks  were  white  with 
age,  and  he  trembled  in  every  joint.    Day  after 


4  THE  RED  INDIAN  FAIRY  BOOK 

day  passed,  and  he  heard  nothing  but  the  sound 
of  the  storm  sweeping  before  it  the  new-fallen 
snow. 

One  day  while  his  fire  was  dying,  a  handsome 
young  man  entered  the  lodge.  His  cheeks  were 
red,  his  eyes  sparkled.  He  walked  with  a  quick, 
light  step.  His  forehead  was  bound  with  sweet- 
grass,  and  he  carried  a  bunch  of  fragrant  flowers 
in  his  hand. 

"Ah,  my  Son,"  said  the  old  man,  "I  am  happy 
to  see  you.  Come  in.  Tell  me  your  adventures, 
and  what  strange  lands  you  have  seen.  I  will  tell 
you  my  wonderful  deeds,  and  what  I  can  perform. 
You  shall  do  the  same,  and  we  will  amuse  each 
other." 

The  old  man  then  drew  from  a  bag  a  curiously 
wrought  pipe.  He  filled  it  with  mild  tobacco,  and 
handed  it  to  his  guest.  They  each  smoked  from 
the  pipe,  and  then  began  their  stories. 

"I  am  Peboan,  the  Spirit  of  Winter,"  said  the 
old  man.  "I  blow  my  breath,  and  the  streams 
stand  still.  The  water  becomes  stiff  and  hard  as 
clear  stone." 

"I  am  Seegwun,  the  Spirit  of  Spring,"  answered 


THE  SPRING  BEAUTY  5 

the  youth.  "  I  breathe,  and  flowers  spring  up  in 
the  meadows  and  woods." 

"  I  shake  my  locks,"  said  the  old  man,  "and  the 
snow  covers  the  land.  The  leaves  fall  from  the 
trees,  and  my  breath  blows  them  away.  The  birds 
fly  to  the  distant  land,  and  the  animals  hide  them- 
selves from  the  cold." 

"I  shake  my  ringlets,"  said  the  young  man, 
"and  the  warm  showers  of  soft  rain  fall  upon  the 
Earth.  The  flowers  lift  their  heads  from  the  ground, 
and  the  grass  grows  thick  and  green.  My  voice  re- 
calls the  birds,  and  they  come  flying  joyfully  from 
the  Southland.  The  warmth  of  my  breath  unbinds 
the  streams,  and  they  sing  the  songs  of  Summer. 
Music  fills  the  groves  wherever  I  walk,  and  all 
Nature  rejoices." 

And  while  they  were  thus  talking,  a  wonderful 
change  took  place.  The  Sun  began  to  rise.  A  gen- 
tle warmth  stole  over  the  place.  Peboan,  the  Spirit 
of  Winter,  became  silent.  His  head  drooped,  and 
the  snow  outside  the  lodge  melted  away.  Seegwun, 
the  Spirit  of  Spring,  grew  more  radiant,  and  rose 
joyfully  to  his  feet.  The  Robin  and  the  Bluebird 
began  to  sing  on  the  top  of  the  lodge.  The  stream 


6  THE  RED  INDIAN  FAIRY  BOOK 

murmured  past  the  door,  and  the  fragrance  of  open- 
ing flowers  came  softly  on  the  breeze. 

The  lodge  faded  away,  and  Peboan  sank  down 
and  dissolved  into  tiny  streams  of  water,  that  van- 
ished under  the  brown  leaves  of  the  forest. 

Thus  the  Spirit  of  Winter  departed,  and  where 
he  melted  away  the  Indian  children  gathered  the 
first  blossoms,  fragrant  and  delicately  pink,  —  the 
modest  Spring  Beauty. 


LITTLE   DAWN   BOY   AND   THE 
RAINBOW  TRAIL 

(Navahd) 

When  the  World  first  began  in  Red  Indian  Land, 
Little  Dawn  Boy  dwelt  in  Red  Rock  House  by 
the  side  of  a  deep  canon.  And  there  he  lived  with 
his  father,  his  mother,  his  brothers,  his  sisters,  and 
a  big  Medicine  Man. 

Every  morning,  when  the  Sun  rose,  Little  Dawn 
Boy  sat  on  the  edge  of  the  canon,  and  looked  far 
across  to  the  other  side.  He  saw  in  the  distance 
a  purple  mountain  and  behind  it  a  high,  white 
cliff  like  a  tower,  which  hid  its  head  in  the 
clouds. 

And  every  morning  he  asked  the  Medicine  Man, 
"Who  lives  on  the  top  of  the  white  cliff?" 

And  the  Medicine  Man  answered,  "First  learn 
my  magic  songs,  and  then  I  will  tell  you." 

So  Little  Dawn  Boy  learned  the  magic  songs, 
and  one  day  the  Medicine  Man  said :  — 

"Now  that  you  know  the  songs,  and  are  big 
enough,  you  may  visit  the  Great-Chief-of-All- 


8  THE  RED  INDIAN  FAIRY  BOOK 

Magic,  who  lives  in  the  House  of  Evening  Light 
on  the  top  of  the  white  cliff. 

"In  the  house  are  four  rooms  and  four  doors. 
The  first  door  is  guarded  by  two  bolts  of  bright 
lightning;  the  second  door  is  watched  by  two 
fierce  Bears;  the  third  door,  by  two  red-headed 
Serpents;  and  the  fourth  door,  by  two  angry 
Rattlesnakes. 

"  If  a  visitor  goes  there  who  does  not  know 
the  magic  songs,  the  lightning  strikes  him,  and  the 
animal  watchers  eat  him  up.  But  you  know  the 
magic  songs  so  well  that  you  may  go  safely  to 
the  House  of  Evening  Light  and  ask  for  good 
gifts  for  your  people." 

"And  how,"  asked  Little  Dawn  Boy,  "shall  I 
reach  the  top  of  the  white  cliff?" 

"  You  must  take  with  you  presents  for  the  Great- 
Chief-of- All- Magic,"  replied  the  Medicine  Man, 
"and  you  must  strew  the  Pollen  of  Dawn  on  your 
trail.  And  when  you  get  to  the  summit  of  the  pur- 
ple mountain,  if  you  sing  a  magic  song,  you  will 
see  how  to  reach  the  top  of  the  white  cliff." 

So  Little  Dawn  Boy  rose  up  and  painted  him- 
self beautifully,  and  decked  his  head  with  feathers. 


LITTLE  DAWN  BOY  9 

He  took  his  bow  and  arrows,  and  made  ready  to 
start.  The  Medicine  Man  gave  him  two  bags.  In 
one  were  gifts  of  strings  of  wampum  and  sky-blue 
turquoises,  and  in  the  other  the  golden  Pollen  of 
Dawn  which  the  Medicine  Man  had  gathered  from 
the  Larkspur  flowers. . 

Little  Dawn  Boy  set  out  on  his  way  with 
dew  about  his  feet  and  Grasshoppers  skipping  all 
around  him.  And  as  he  went,  he  scattered  the 
golden  pollen  on  his  trail. 

All  that  day,  and  the  second,  and  the  third, 
he  travelled,  and  early  on  the  morning  of  the 
fourth  day  he  climbed  to  the  summit  of  the  pur- 
ple mountain.  But  still  far  off  and  high  among 
the  clouds  towered  the  white  cliff,  and  around  its 
top  flashed  the  red  lightning. 

But  Little  Dawn  Boy  was  not  afraid.  He  scat- 
tered more  pollen  on  his  trail,  and  began  to  sing 
his  magic  song :  — 

"Oh,  Pollen  Boy  am  I! 
From  Red  Rock  House  I  come! 
With  Pollen  of  Dawn  on  my  trail! 
With  beauty  before  me, 
With  beauty  behind  me, 
With  beauty  below  me, 


io         THE  RED  INDIAN  FAIRY  BOOK 

With  beauty  above  me, 
With  beauty  all  round  me, 
Over  the  Rainbow  Trail  I  go! 
Hither  I  wander,  thither  I  wander, 
Over  the  beautiful  trail  I  go!" 

And  as  he  finished  the  song  an  arch  of  shim- 
mering light,  all  rose,  violet,  blue,  and  every  colour, 
and  delicate  as  a  veil,  began  to  stretch  from  the 
summit  of  the  purple  mountain  to  the  top  of  the 
white  cliff.  And  in  a  minute  Little  Dawn  Boy 
saw  a  bright  Rainbow  Bridge  grow  before  his 
eyes. 

Singing  with  delight  he  hastened  over  the  Rain- 
bow Bridge,  and  as  he  ran  a  wind  sprang  up  and 
blew  a  many-coloured  mist  to  the  top  of  the  cliff. 
And  it  blinded  the  eyes  of  the  animal  watchers  at 
the  four  doors  of  the  House  of  Evening  Light. 

And  when  Little  Dawn  Boy  reached  the  house, 
he  went  in  and  the  watchers  did  not  see  him.  As 
he  entered,  he  passed  over  a  trail  of  daylight,  and 
sprinkled  the  golden  pollen,  while  he  sang  his 
magic  song. 

Then  the  Great- Chief-of- All- Magic  looked  at 
him  angrily,  and  called  out  like  thunder:  "Who 
is  this  stranger  who  dares  to  come  here  unbidden? 


LITTLE  DAWN  BOY  11 

Is  he  one  of  the  people  from  the  Earth  ?  No  one 
has  ever  ventured  to  come  here  before." 

And  Little  Dawn  Boy  answered  and  said,  "  See, 
I  bring  you  beautiful  gifts,  and  I  trust  to  find  many 
friends  in  this  house."  And  he  opened  the  gift-bag, 
and  took  out  the  strings  of  wampum  and  sky-blue 
turquoises. 

And  when  the  Great- Chief- of- All- Magic  saw 
these,  he  was  well  pleased,  and  looked  kindly 
at  Little  Dawn  Boy,  and  welcomed  him  to  the 
House  of  Evening  Light.  And  he  asked  him  what 
presents  he  would  like  in  return. 

And  Little  Dawn  Boy  answered :  "  Gifts  for  my 
kindred  I  wish.  Give  me,  I  pray,  yellow  and  white 
and  blue  corn,  green  growing  plants,  fragrant  flow- 
ers, black  clouds  and  thunderstorms  with  light- 
ning; also  the  soft  Spring  showers  and  the  gentle 
Summer  breezes,  with  pale  mists,  and  golden  Au- 
tumn hazes." 

And  so  the  Great- Chief-of- All- Magic  gave  him 
what  he  asked  for,  together  with  many  other  pres- 
ents. He  feasted  him  with  good  things  to  eat  and 
drink,  and  afterward  sent  him  on  his  way. 

And  as  the  boy  stepped  out  of  the  House  of 


12         THE  RED  INDIAN  FAIRY  BOOK 

Evening  Light,  he  began  to  sing  another  magic 
song : — 

"Oh,  Little  Dawn  Boy  am  I! 

From  the  House  of  Evening  Light! 

On  the  Trail  of  Evening  Light! 

To  Red  Rock  House  I  return! 

Held  fast  in  my  hands  are  gifts! 
With  soft  rains  above  me, 
With  sweet  flowers  below  me, 
With  white  corn  behind  me, 
With  green  plants  before  me, 
With  pale  mists  all  round  me, 

Over  the  Rainbow  Trail  I  go! 

Hither  I  wander,  thither  I  wander, 

Over  the  beautiful  trail  I  go!" 

And  as  he  sang,  the  Rainbow,  all  rose,  violet, 
blue,  and  every  colour,  began  to  span  with  its  bright 
arch  the  space  from  the  white  cliff  to  the  purple 
mountain.  And  over  the  Rainbow  Bridge  Little 
Dawn  Boy  hastened  singing  his  magic  song. 

And  for  three  days  and  three  nights  he  trav- 
elled, until  early  on  the  fourth  day,  just  as  the  Sun 
rose,  he  reached  the  edge  of  the  deep  canon,  and 
entered  Red  Rock  House. 

And  there  he  saw  his  people  waiting  for  him. 
And  joyfully  they  welcomed  him,  and  spread  a 


LITTLE  DAWN  BOY  13 

magic  buckskin  for  him  to  sit  upon.  And  he  related 
all  his  adventures,  and  gave  them  the  many  good 
gifts  that  had  come  from  the  House  of  Evening 
Light. 

And  ever  since  that  day  his  people  have  sung 
the  magic  song  of  Little  Dawn  Boy :  — 

"With  soft  rains  above  us, 

With  sweet  flowers  below  us, 

With  white  corn  behind  us, 

With  green  plants  before  us, 

With  pale  mists  all  round  us, 
Over  the  Rainbow  Trail  we  go! 
Hither  we  wander,  thither  we  wander, 
Over  the  beautiful  trail  we  go!" 


THE   MEADOW   DANDELION 

(Chippewa) 

When  the  Earth  was  very  young,  says  the  Chip- 
pewa Grandmother,  Mudjekeewis  the  Mighty  kept 
the  West  Wind  for  himself  and  gave  the  three 
other  winds  to  his  sons.  To  Wabun  he  gave  the 
East  Wind;  to  the  rollicking  Kabibonokka  he 
gave  the  Northwest  Wind.  But  he  made  the  lazy 
Shawondasee  ruler  of  the  South  Wind  and  of  the 
Southland.  And  very  sad  was  Shawondasee  to 
leave  the  cool  and  pleasant  Northland,  and,  sor- 
rowing, he  set  out  on  his  way. 

"  Farewell,  Brother,"  roared  the  Northwest 
Wind  Kabibonokka.  "Many's  the  time  in  your 
hot  land  you  will  long  for  my  cooling  breath." 

But  the  lazy  Shawondasee  gave  no  answer,  and 
slowly  making  his  way  to  the  Southland,  built 
his  lodge  of  branches.  There  in  the  flowery  tangle 
of  the  forest,  he  sat  sleepy  and  lazy  in  his  lodge. 
He  did  not  see  the  bright  birds  and  flowers.  He 
did  not  feel  the  fragrant  airs,  but  ever  he  looked 


THE  MEADOW  DANDELION  15 

toward  the  North,  and  longed  and  sighed  for  its 
people  and  cool  hills. 

And  when  he  sighed  in  the  Springtime,  flocks  of 
eager  birds  flew  northward  to  feast  in  the  grain- 
fields.  In  the  Summer  when  he  sighed  the  hot 
winds  rushed  to  the  North  to  ripen  the  waiting 
ears  of  corn  and  to  fill  meadows  and  woods  with 
flowers.  And  in  the  Autumn  when  he  sighed  a 
golden  glow  drifted  northward,  and  the  purple 
haze  of  Indian  Summer  draped  the  hills. 

But  Shawondasee,  too  lazy  to  follow  in  the  paths 
of  birds  and  winds,  lay  in  his  lodge  and  sighed  with 
longing. 

One  Spring,  while  looking  northward,  he  beheld 
a  slender  maiden,  standing  in  a  grassy  meadow. 
Her  garments  were  green  and  waving,  and  her 
hair  was  as  yellow  as  gold. 

And  each  night  Shawondasee  whispered,  "To- 
morrow I  will  seek  her."  And  each  morning  he 
said,  "To-morrow  I  will  win  her  for  my  bride." 
But  always  on  the  morrow  he  looked  and  sighed 
and  said,  "To-morrow  I  will  go."  But,  sleepy  and 
lazy,  he  never  left  his  lodge  to  travel  northward. 

One  morning  as  he  gazed  he  saw  that  the  maid- 


16         THE  RED  INDIAN  FAIRY  BOOK 

en's  hair  was  no  longer  yellow,  but  her  head  was 
white  like  snow.  Full  of  grief,  he  gave  out  many 
short  and  rapid  sighs.  Then  the  air  was  filled  with 
something  soft  and  silvery  like  thistledown,  and 
the  slender  maiden  vanished  forever. 

And  Kabibonokka,  the  Brother  Northwest 
Wind,  came  rollicking  southward.  Jolly  and  brisk 
was  he,  and  laughing  loudly. 

"Ho,  lazy  one!"  cried  he,  as  he  blew  around 
the  lodge  of  Shawondasee.  "It  was  no  maiden 
that  you  gazed  upon,  but  a  Meadow  Dandelion!" 


LITTLE  BURNT-FACE 

(Micmac) 

Once  upon  a  time,  in  a  large  Indian  village  on  the 
border  of  a  lake,  there  lived  an  old  man  who  was 
a  widower.  He  had  three  daughters.  The  eldest 
was  jealous,  cruel,  and  ugly;  the  second  was  vain; 
but  the  youngest  of  all  was  very  gentle  and 
lovely. 

Now,  when  the  father  was  out  hunting  in  the 
forest,  the  eldest  daughter  used  to  beat  the  young- 
est girl,  and  burn  her  face  with  hot  coals;  yes, 
and  even  scar  her  pretty  body.  So  the  people 
called  her  "  Little  Burnt- Face." 

When  the  father  came  home  from  hunting  he 
would  ask  why  she  was  so  scarred,  and  the  eldest 
would  answer  quickly:  "She  is  a  good-for-noth- 
ing !  She  was  forbidden  to  go  near  the  fire,  and 
she  disobeyed  and  fell  in."  Then  the  father  would 
scold  Little  Burnt-Face  and  she  would  creep  away 
crying  to  bed. 

By  the  lake,  at  the  end  of  the  village,  there 
was  a  beautiful  wigwam.  And  in  that  wigwam 


18  THE  RED  INDIAN   FAIRY  BOOK 

lived  a  Great  Chief  and  his  sister.  The  Great 
Chief  was  invisible ;  no  one  had  ever  seen  him 
but  his  sister.  He  brought  her  many  deer  and 
supplied  her  with  good  things  to  eat  from  the  for- 
est and  lake,  and  with  the  finest  blankets  and  gar- 
ments. And  when  visitors  came  all  they  ever  saw 
of  the  Chief  were  his  moccasins ;  for  when  he  took 
them  off  they  became  visible,  and  his  sister  hung 
them  up. 

Now,  one  Spring,  his  sister  made  known  that 
her  brother,  the  Great  Chief,  would  marry  any 
girl  who  could  see  him. 

Then  all  the  girls  from  the  village  —  except 
Little  Burnt-Face  and  her  sisters  —  and  all  the 
girls  for  miles  around  hastened  to  the  wigwam, 
and  walked  along  the  shore  of  the  lake  with  his 
sister. 

And  his  sister  asked  the  girls,  "Do  you  see 
my  brother?" 

And  some  of  them  said,  "No";  but  most  of 
them  answered,  "Yes." 

Then  his  sister  asked,  "  Of  what  is  his  shoulder- 
strap  made  ?  " 

And  the  girls  said,  "  Of  a  strip  of  rawhide." 


LITTLE  BURNT-FACE  19 

14  And  with  what  does  he  draw  his  sled?"  asked 
his  sister. 

And  they  replied,  "With  a  green  withe/^__^ 

Then  she  knew  that  they  had  not  seen  him  at 
all,  and  said  quietly,  "  Let  us  go  to  the  wigwam." 

So  to  the  wigwam  they  went,  and  when  they 
entered,  his  sister  told  them  not  to  take  the  seat 
next  the  door,  for  that  was  where  her  brother 
sat. 

Then  they  helped  his  sister  to  cook  the  supper, 
for  they  were  very  curious  to  see  the  Great  Chief 
eat.  When  all  was  ready,  the  food  disappeared, 
and  the  brother  took  off  his  moccasins,  and  his 
sister  hung  them  up.  But  they  never  saw  the 
Chief,  though  many  of  them  stayed  all  night. 

One  day  Little  Burnt- Face's  two  sisters  put 
on  their  finest  blankets  and  brightest  strings  of 
beads,  and  plaited  their  hair  beautifully,  and  slipped 
embroidered  moccasins  on  their  feet.  Then  they 
started  out  to  see  the  Great  Chief. 

As  soon  as  they  were  gone,  Little  Burnt- Face 
made  herself  a  dress  of  white  birch-bark,  and  a 
cap  and  leggings  of  the  same.  She  threw  off  her 
ragged  garments,  and  dressed  herself  in  her  birch- 


20         THE  RED  INDIAN  FAIRY  BOOK 

bark  clothes.  She  put  her  father's  moccasins  on 
her  bare  feet ;  and  the  moccasins  were  so  big  that 
they  came  up  to  her  knees.  Then  she,  too,  started 
out  to  visit  the  beautiful  wigwam  at  the  end  of 
the  village. 

Poor  Little  Burnt- Face !  She  was  a  sorry  sight ! 
For  her  hair  was  singed  off,  and  her  little  face  was 
as  full  of  burns  and  scars  as  a  sieve  is  full  of  holes ; 
and  she  shuffled  along  in  her  birch-bark  clothes 
and  big  moccasins.  And  as  she  passed  through 
the  village  the  boys  and  girls  hissed,  yelled,  and 
hooted. 

And  when  she  reached  the  lake,  her  sisters  saw 
her  coming,  and  they  tried  to  shame  her,  and  told 
her  to  go  home.  But  the  Great  Chief's  sister  re- 
ceived her  kindly,  and  bade  her  stay,  for  she  saw 
how  sweet  and  gentle  Little  Burnt- Face  really 
was. 

Then  as  evening  was  coming  on,  the  Great 
Chief's  sister  took  all  three  girls  walking  beside 
the  lake,  and  the  sky  grew  dark,  and  they  knew 
the  Great  Chief  had  come. 

And  his  sister  asked  the  two  elder  girls,  "Do 
you  see  my  brother?" 


LITTLE  BURNT-FACE  21 

And  they  said,  "Yes." 

"Of  what  is  his  shoulder-strap  made?"  asked 
his  sister. 

"Of  a  strip  of  rawhide,"  they  replied. 

"And  with  what  does  he  draw  his  sled?"  asked 
she. 

And  they  said,  "With  a  green  withe." 

Then  his  sister  turned  to  Little  Burnt- Face  and 
asked,  "Do  you  see  him?" 

"I  do!  I  do!"  said  Little  Burnt- Face  with  awe. 
"  And  he  is  wonderful ! " 

"And  of  what  is  his  sled-string  made?"  asked 
his  sister  gently. 

"  It  is  a  beautiful  Rainbow! "  cried  Little  Burnt- 
Face. 

"  But,  my  sister,"  said  the  other,  "of  what  is  his 
bow-string  made?" 

"His  bow-string,"  replied  Little  Burnt- Face, 
"is  the  Milky  Way!" 

Then  the  Great  Chief's  sister  smiled  with  de- 
light, and  taking  Little  Burnt- Face  by  the  hand, 
she  said,  "You  have  surely  seen  him." 

She  led  the  little  girl  to  the  wigwam,  and  bathed 
her  with  dew  until  the  burns  and  scars  all  disap- 


22  THE  RED   INDIAN  FAIRY  BOOK 

peared  from  her  body  and  face.  Her  skin  became 
soft  and  lovely  again.  Her  hair  grew  long  and  dark 
like  the  Blackbird's  wing.  Her  eyes  were  like 
stars.  Then  his  sister  brought  from  her  treasures 
a  wedding-garment,  and  she  dressed  Little  Burnt- 
Face  in  it.  And  she  was  most  beautiful  to  behold. 

After  all  this  was  done,  his  sister  led  the  little 
girl  to  the  seat  next  the  door,  saying,  "This  is  the 
Bride's  seat,"  and  made  her  sit  down. 

And  then  the  Great  Chief,  no  longer  invisible, 
entered,  terrible  and  beautiful.  And  when  he  saw 
Little  Burnt-Face,  he  smiled  and  said  gently,  "  So 
we  have  found  each  other!  " 

And  she  answered,  "Yes." 

Then  Little  Burnt- Face  was  married  to  the 
Great  Chief,  and  the  wedding-feast  lasted  for  days, 
and  to  it  came  all  the  people  of  the  village.  As  for 
the  two  bad  sisters,  they  went  back  to  their  wig- 
wam in  disgrace,  weeping  with  shame. 


MAY  THE  MONTH  OF  FLOWERS  AND  BIRDS 


V 


THE   ELVES 
(Iroquois) 

The  little  Elves  of  Darkness,  so  says  the  old 
Iroquois  Grandmother,  were  wise  and  mysterious. 
They  dwelt  under  the  Earth,  where  were  deep 
'forests  and  broad  plains.  There  they  kept  captive 
all  the  evil  things  that  wished  to  injure  human 
beings,  — the  venomous  snakes,  the  wicked  spiders, 
and  the  fearful  monsters.  Sometimes  one  of  these 


26         THE  RED  INDIAN  FAIRY  BOOK 

evil  creatures  escaped  and  rushed  upward  to  the 
bright,  pure  air,  and  spread  its  poisonous  breath 
over  the  Upper  World.  But  such  happenings  were 
rare,  for  the  Elves  of  Darkness  were  faithful  and 
strong,  and  did  not  willingly  allow  the  wicked 
beasts  and  reptiles  to  harm  human  beings  and  the 
growing  things. 

When  the  night  was  lighted  by  the  Moon's  soft 
rays,  and  the  woods  of  the  Upper  World  were 
sweet  with  the  odour  of  the  Spring  flowers,  then 
the  Elves  of  Darkness  left  the  Under  World,  and 
creeping  from  their  holes,  held  a  festival  in  the 
woods.  And  under  many  a  tree  where  the  blades 
of  grass  had  refused  to  grow,  the  Little  People 
danced  until  rings  of  green  sprang  up  under  their 
feet.  And  to  the  festival  came  the  Elves  of  Light, 
—  among  them  the  Tree- Elves,  Flower- Elves, 
and  Fruit- Elves.  They  too  danced  and  made 
merry. 

But  when  the  moonlight  faded  away,  and  day 
began  to  break,  then  the  Elves  of  Darkness  scam- 
pered back  to  their  holes,  and  returned  once  more 
to  the  Under  World,  while  the  Elves  of  Light  be- 
gan their  daily  tasks. 


THE  ELVES  27 

For  in  the  Springtime  these  Little  People  of 
Light  hid  in  sheltered  places.  They  listened  to  the 
complaints  of  the  seeds  that  lay  covered  in  the 
ground,  and  they  whispered  to  the  Earth  until 
the  seeds  burst  their  pods  and  sent  their  shoots 
up  to  the  light.  Then  the  little  Elves  wandered 
through  the  woods  bidding  all  growing  things  look 
up  to  the  Sun. 

The  Tree- Elves  tended  the  trees,  unfolding  their 
leaves,  and  feeding  their  roots  with  sap  from  the 
Earth.  The  Flower-Elves  unwrapped  the  baby 
buds,  and  tinted  the  petals  of  the  opening  flowers, 
and  played  with  the  Butterflies  and  Bees. 

But  the  busiest  of  all  were  the  Fruit- Elves. 
Their  greatest  care  in  the  Spring  was  the  Straw- 
berry Plant.  When  the  ground  softened  from  the 
frost,  the  Fruit-Elves  loosened  the  soil  around 
each  Strawberry  root,  that  its  shoots  might  push 
through  to  the  light.  They  shaped  the  plant's 
leaves,  and  turned  its  blossoms  toward  the  warm 
rays  of  the  Sun.  They  trained  its  runners,  and 
helped  the  timid  fruit  to  form.  They  painted  the 
luscious  berry,  and  bade  it  ripen.  And  when  the 
first  Strawberries  blushed   on  the  vines,   these 


28         THE  RED   INDIAN   FAIRY   BOOK 

guardian  Elves  protected  them  from  the  evil  in- 
sects that  had  escaped  from  the  world  of  darkness 
underground. 

The  old  Iroquois  Grandmother  tells  how  once, 
when  the  fruit  first  came  to  earth,  the  Evil  One, 
Hahgwehdaetgah,  stole  the  Strawberry  Plant,  and 
carried  it  to  his  gloomy  cave,  where  he  hid  it  away. 
And  there  it  lay  until  a  tiny  sunbeam  pierced  the 
damp  mould,  and  finding  the  little  vine,  carried  it 
back  to  its  sunny  fields.  And  ever  since  then  the 
Strawberry  Plant  has  lived  and  thrived  in  the  fields 
and  woods.  But  the  Fruit- Elves,  fearing  lest  the 
Evil  One  should  one  day  steal  the  vine  again, 
watch  day  and  night  over  their  favourite.  And 
when  the  Strawberries  ripen,  the  Elves  give  the 
juicy,  fragrant  fruit  to  the  Iroquois  children  as  they 
gather  the  Spring  flowers  in  the  woods. 


WOODPECKER   GRAY 

[Wyandot) 

Listen  to  the  Wyandot  Grandmother :  — 

Once  in  an  Indian  village  there  was  a  beautiful 
girl.  She  lived  all  alone  in  a  pretty  lodge,  and 
had  a  little  gray  Woodpecker  for  a  servant. 

Whenever  the  girl  wished  to  go  to  the  dance, 
she  called,  "Woodpecker  Gray,  come  and  dress 
me. 

Then  the  little  bird  came  hopping  over  the 
floor.  He  plaited  her  hair,  and  wound  bright 
strings  of  beads  in  it,  and  helped  her  to  paint  her 
face  with  colours  like  the  rainbow. 

And  after  the  girl  was  dressed,  she  put  the  paint- 
pots  carefully  away  and  locked  them  up. 

Now,  the  little  bird's  feathers  were  just  gray, 
with  a  few  white  spots.  And  every  time  he  saw 
his  mistress  painted  so  bright  and  beautiful,  he 
sighed  and  thought,  "  How  I  wish  my  feathers 
were  red! " 

One  day,  after  the  girl  was  gone  to  the  dance, 
he  saw  that  she  had  left  on  the  floor  a  brush  dipped 


30         THE  RED   INDIAN   FAIRY  BOOK 

in  red  paint.  "Ah  ha!"  thought  he,  "now  I  will 
make  myself  pretty !  " 

So  he  picked  up  the  brush,  and  drew  it  across 
each  side  of  his  head,  just  above  his  ears.  And 
so  he  got  two  tiny  red  stripes,  and  he  wears  them 
to-day,  as  he  flies  about  in  the  woods. 


THE  KIND  HAWK 

(Hop) 

A  long  time  ago,  in  a  happy  Hopi  village,  there 
lived  a  little  boy.  His  mother  loved  him  so  much 
that  she  dressed  him  in  a  pretty  shirt  and  em- 
broidered moccasins. 

One  day  the  boy  wandered  away  from  the  vil- 
lage, over  the  plain,  and  a  band  of  fierce  Navaho 
Indians  swooped  down  and  bore  him  off.  They 
carried  him  to  their  camp,  where  the  squaws  took 
his  shirt  and  moccasins  away,  and  gave  them  to 
the  Chief's  son.  Then  they  made  the  boy  work 
all  day,  and  gave  him  so  little  to  eat,  that,  in  a  few 
weeks,  he  grew  thin  and  sick. 

Now,  near  the  Navaho  camp  was  a  high  bluff 
on  which  lived  a  kind-hearted  Hawk.  It  often 
flew  over  the  camp,  and  saw  the  boy  working 
hard,  and  never  playing  with  the  other  children. 
So  one  day,  when  all  the  Navahos  were  gathered 
together  at  the  Chief's  lodge,  the  Hawk  flew  down 
and  hovered  over  the  boy's  head. 

"Oh,  do  not  kill  me! "  begged  the  boy. 


32         THE  RED  INDIAN  FAIRY  BOOK 

"lam  not  going  to  hurt  you,"  answered  the 
Hawk,  "  I  am  sorry  for  you. '  Jump  on  my  back, 
and  hold  on  to  my  wings,  and  I  '11  carry  you 
away." 

The  boy  jumped  on  its  back,  and  held  on  tight, 
and  the  bird  flew  up  in  the  air.  It  passed  over  the 
place  where  the  Navahos  were  gathered,  and 
when  they  saw  the  boy  on  the  back  of  the  Hawk, 
they  were  filled  with  rage  and  wonder. 

The  bird  flew  to  the  high  bluff,  and  put  down 
the  boy,  then  it  went  back  to  the  camp.  It  swooped 
down  on  the  Chief's  little  son,  and  pulling  off  his 
embroidered  shirt,  carried  it  to  the  boy.  Then  the 
Hawk  returned  to  the  camp  again,  and  taking  a 
pair  of  handsome  moccasins  off  another  boy,  car- 
ried them  to  the  bluff.  The  Navahos  were  terribly 
frightened,  and  packing  up  their  goods,  left  the 
place. 

The  Hawk  first  dressed  the  boy,  then  fed  him 
on  Rabbit-meat,  and  other  good  things.  After 
that  it  took  him  on  its  back  and  flew  with  him  to 
his  mother.  Then,  without  waiting  to  be  thanked, 
the  bird  flew  away  again  to  its  bluff. 


THE  BOY  WHO  BECAME  A  ROBIN 

(Chippewa) 

Once  upon  a  time  there  was  an  old  Indian  who 
had  an  only  son,  whose  name  was  Opeechee.  The 
boy  had  come  to  the  age  when  every  Indian  lad 
makes  a  fast,  in  order  to  secure  a  Spirit  to  be  his 
guardian  for  life. 

Now,  the  old  man  was  very  proud,  and  he 
wished  his  son  to  fast  longer  than  other  boys,  and 
to  become  a  greater  warrior  than  all  others.  So 
he  directed  him  to  prepare  with  solemn  ceremo- 
nies for  the  fast. 

After  the  boy  had  been  in  the  sweating  lodge 
and  bath  several  times,  his  father  commanded 
him  to  lie  down  upon  a  clean  mat,  in  a  little  lodge 
apart  from  the  rest. 

"  My  Son,"  said  he,  "endure  your  hunger  like 
a  man,  and  at  the  end  of  twelve  days,  you  shall 
receive  food  and  a  blessing  from  my  hands." 

The  boy  did  carefully  all  that  his  father  com- 
manded, and  lay  quietly  with  his  face  covered, 


34         THE  RED  INDIAN  FAIRY  BOOK 

awaiting  the  arrival  of  his  guardian  Spirit  who 
was  to  bring  him  good  or  bad  dreams. 

His  father  visited  him  every  day,  encouraging 
him  to  endure  with  patience  the  pangs  of  hunger 
and  thirst.  He  told  him  of  the  honour  and  re- 
nown that  would  be  his  if  he  continued  his  fast  to 
the  end  of  the  twelve  days. 

To  all  this  the  boy  replied  not,  but  lay  on  his 
mat  without  a  murmur  of  discontent,  until  the 
ninth  day,  when  he  said :  — 

11  My  Father,  the  dreams  tell  me  of  evil.  May 
I  break  my  fast  now,  and  at  a  better  time  make 
a  new  one?" 

"  My  Son,"  replied  the  old  man,  "you  know 
not  what  you  ask.  If  you  get  up  now,  all  your 
glory  will  depart.  Wait  patiently  a  little  longer. 
You  have  but  three  days  more  to  fast,  then  glory 
and  honour  will  be  yours." 

The  boy  said  nothing  more,  but,  covering  him- 
self closer,  he  lay  until  the  eleventh  day,  when  he 
spoke  again :  — 

"My  Father,"  said  he,  "the  dreams  forebode 
evil.  May  I  break  my  fast  now,  and  at  a  better 
time  make  a  new  one  ?  " 


THE  BOY   WHO  BECAME  A  ROBIN      35 

"  My  Son,"  replied  the  old  man  again,  "you 
know  not  what  you  ask.  Wait  patiently  a  little 
longer.  You  have  but  one  more  day  to  fast.  To- 
morrow I  will  myself  prepare  a  meal  and  bring  it 
to  you." 

The  boy  remained  silent,  beneath  his  covering, 
and  motionless  except  for  the  gentle  heaving  of 
his  breast. 

Early  the  next  morning  his  father,  overjoyed  at 
having  gained  his  end,  prepared  some  food.  He 
took  it  and  hastened  to  the  lodge  intending  to  set 
it  before  his  son. 

On  coming  to  the  door  of  the  lodge  what  was 
his  surprise  to  hear  the  boy  talking  to  some  one. 
He  lifted  the  curtain  hanging  before  the  doorway, 
and,  looking  in,  saw  his  son  painting  his  breast 
with  vermilion.  And  as  the  lad  laid  on  the  bright 
colour  as  far  back  on  his  shoulders  as  he  could 
reach,  he  was  saying  to  himself:  — 

"  My  father  has  destroyed  my  fortune  as  a  man. 
He  would  not  listen  to  my  requests.  I  shall  be 
happy  forever  because  I  was  obedient  to  my 
parent;  but  he  will  suffer.  My  guardian  Spirit 
has  given  me  a  new  form,  and  now  I  must  go!  " 


36         THE  RED  INDIAN  FAIRY  BOOK 

At  this  his  father  rushed  into  the  lodge,  crying: 
11  My  Son !  my  Son  !  I  pray  you  leave  me  not !  " 

But  the  boy,  with  the  quickness  of  a  bird,  flew 
to  the  top  of  the  lodge,  and  perching  upon  the 
highest  pole,  was  instantly  changed  into  a  most 
beautiful  Robin  Redbreast. 

He  looked  down  on  his  father  with  pity  in  his 
eyes,  and  said :  — 

"  Do  not  sorrow,  O  my  Father,  I  am  no  longer 
your  boy,  but  Opeechee  the  Robin.  I  shall  always 
be  a  friend  to  men,  and  live  near  their  dwellings. 
I  shall  ever  be  happy  and  content.  Every  day  will 
I  sing  you  songs  of  joy.  The  mountains  and  fields 
yield  me  food.   My  pathway  is  in  the  bright  air." 

Then  Opeechee  the  Robin  stretched  himself  as 
if  delighting  in  his  new  wings,  and  carolling  his 
sweetest  song,  he  flew  away  to  the  near-by  trees. 


LEGEND  OF  THE  VIOLET 

{Iroquois) 

Many  Moons  before  the  white  man  came  to  the 
land  of  the  Red  Indian,  there  lived  a  young  war- 
rior who  was  the  pride  of  his  tribe ;  for  dangerous 
deeds  had  he  accomplished  for  the  good  of  his 
people.  He  had  slain  the  Great  Heron  that  de- 
stroyed their  children,  and  he  had  brought  back 
from  the  Mountain  of  the  Witches  the  healing 
roots  that  cured  the  plague. 

Once  when  he  led  a  band  of  warriors  against 
another  tribe,  he  saw  in  the  lodge  of  one  of  his 
enemies  a  maiden  so  gentle  and  lovely  that  he 
longed  to  have  her  for  his  wigwam.  But  because 
of  the  strife  between  the  two  tribes,  he  could  not 
buy  her  with  quills  of  the  Wampum  Bird. 

So  after  he  had  returned  victorious  with  his 
warriors  to  his  own  village,  he  often  thought  of 
the  maiden,  and  how,  unless  he  could  light  his 
wigwam  with  the  brightness  of  her  eyes,  he  would 
no  longer  lead  out  his  young  men  to  battle. 

At  last  he  went  forth  alone,  and  hid  in  the 


38     •    THE  RED   INDIAN  FAIRY  BOOK 

woods  near  the  village  of  his  enemies.  There  he 
watched  patiently  for  the  maiden  whose  eyes  had 
softened  his  heart. 

He  sang  her  praises  so  often  that  the  little  birds 
took  up  his  song  and  carried  it  in  their  flight,  over 
valley  and  meadow.  The  Bear,  the  Fox,  and  the 
Beaver  heard  him  murmur  her  name  in  his  sleep, 
and  thought  that  a  bright  new  flower  had  been 
born  in  the  woodland. 

With  the  calls  of  the  song-birds,  he  wooed 
the  maiden  from  her  lodge,  and  lifting  her,  bore 
her  away  toward  the  hunting-grounds  of  his 
people. 

But,  alas  !  a  suitor  of  the  maiden  saw  her  car- 
ried swiftly  off  upon  the  shoulder  of  the  dreaded 
warrior.  He  dared  not  follow,  but  fled  to  the  vil- 
lage and  gave  the  alarm.  The  braves  left  him 
—  a  coward  —  in  the  hands  of  the  women,  and 
hastened  in  pursuit  of  the  maiden  and  her  lover. 

They  followed  them  over  mountains  and  plains 
all  through  the  dark  night.  And  as  the  morning 
dawned,  they  found  them  in  the  forest.  And  when 
the  braves  saw  the  maiden,  they  were  filled  with 
anger,  for  she  had  plaited  her  hair  about  the  neck 


LEGEND  OF   THE  VIOLET  .     39 

of  the  young  man,  to  show  that  she  was  a  willing 
captive  and  had  given  him  her  heart. 

Then  her  people,  enraged  at  their  foe  for  his 
daring,  and  at  the  maiden  because  she  had  de- 
serted her  tribe,  killed  them  both,  and  left  their 
bodies  lying  where  they  fell. 

And  from  this  spot  in  the  forest  sprang  up  the 
first  Blue  Violets.  And  the  winds  and  the  birds 
carried  the  seeds  of  the  flowers  and  scattered 
them  over  all  the  Earth.  So  they  did,  that  in  the 
Springtime  youths  and  maidens  might  pluck  the 
little  blue  flower  that  breathes  of  constant  love. 


THE  STAR  AND  THE  WATER  LILIES 

(Chippewa) 

Oh!  many,  many  Moons  ago,  when  the  World 
was  young,  there  was  no  Winter.  It  was  always 
beautiful  Spring.  Then  Violets  and  Roses  bloomed 
all  the  year  round,  and  the  birds  sang  their  sweet- 
est songs  night  and  day. 

Then  there  wandered  through  the  Sky  Land,  a 
very  bright  little  Star.  It  looked  down  on  the 
Earth,  and  saw  the  children  laughing  and  play- 
ing, and  it  wished  to  live  among  them  and  be 
loved.  So  it  put  out  wings  like  a  bird's,  and  fly- 
ing downward,  hovered  above  the  tops  of  the 
trees.  But  it  did  not  know  in  what  form  to  dwell 
so  that  the  children  would  love  it. 

Taking  the  shape  of  a  bright  maiden,  the  Star 
entered  the  dreams  of  a  young  brave,  who  slept 
alone  in  his  lodge. 

"Young  brave,"  said  the  maiden  to  the  dream- 
ing youth,  "  I  am  a  Star  that  has  left  the  Sky  to 
live  in  your  land.  Lovely  are  the  things  of  Earth ! 
—  its  flowers!  its  birds!  its  rivers!  its  lakes!  But 


THE  STAR  AND   THE   WATER   LILIES    41 

more  lovely  are  its  children !  Ask  your  wise  men 
in  what  form  I  should  dwell  to  be  best  loved  by 
the  children." 

Thus  spoke  the  bright  maiden,  and  vanished 
from  the  young  man's  dreams.  He  awoke,  and, 
stepping  from  his  lodge,  saw  the  shining  Star 
hovering  above  the  trees.  And  at  dawn  he  sought 
the  wise  men  of  his  tribe,  and  told  them  his 
dream. 

And  when  night  was  come  again,  and  the 
brave  was  sleeping  alone  in  his  lodge,  the  Star 
spread  its  wings,  and  in  the  shape  of  the  maiden, 
entered  once  more  his  dreams.  Then  he  bade  it 
seek  a  dwelling-place  in  the  tops  of  giant  trees, 
or  in  the  hearts  of  the  flowers.  So  would  the 
children  love  it. 

The  maiden  vanished  as  before,  and  becoming 
the  Star  again,  wandered  above  the  Earth,  seek- 
ing some  form  in  which  to  dwell. 

At  first  the  Star  crept  into  the  heart  of  the 
White  Rose  of  the  Mountain.  But  it  was  so  hid- 
den in  a  lonely  spot  that  the  children  never 
saw  it. 

Then  it  went  to  the  prairie  to  live  in  the  blades 


42         THE  RED  INDIAN  FAIRY  BOOK 

of  grass.  But  it  feared  the  trampling  hoofs  of  the 
Buffalo. 

Next  it  sought  the  rocky  cliff  to  lie  in  the  moss. 
But  the  children  could  not  climb  so  high. 

Then  said  the  Star:  "  I  will  live  on  the  surface 
of  the  lake,  for  there,  all  the  warm  Summer  day, 
the  children  paddle  their  canoes.  They  will  see 
me  reflected  in  the  ripples,  and  will  love  me." 

So  the  Star  alighted  on  the  lake,  and  dissolved 
in  beauty. 

And  when  the  children  rose  in  the  morning,  and 
ran  down  to  the  shore,  they  saw  hundreds  and 
hundreds  of  white  Lilies,  like  Fairy  cups,  float- 
ing on  the  water.  And  in  the  heart  of  each,  the 
bright  Star  was  dwelling. 

Soon  the  happy  children,  in  their  canoes,  were 
darting  to  and  fro,  and  as  they  trailed  their  hands 
in  the  water,  and  gathered  the  blossoms,  they 
laughingly  called  to  each  other:  — 

"  Oh !  how  we  love  the  Water  Lilies ! " 


JUNE  THE   BEAUTIFUL  MONTH 


WHY  WILD  ROSES  HAVE  THORNS 

(Salteaux) 

Long,  long  ago,  Wild  Roses  had  no  thorns. 
They  grew  on  bushes  the  stems  of  which  were 
smooth  and  fragrant,  and  the  leaves  a  delicate 
green.  The  sweet-smelling  pink  blossoms  cov- 
ered the  bushes.  Oh !  they  were  beautiful  to  see  1 
But  they  made  such  delicious  eating,  that  the 
Rabbits  and  other  creatures  who  loved  grass  and 


46         THE  RED  INDIAN  FAIRY  BOOK 

herbs,  nibbled  the  pink  petals  and  green  leaves, 
and  sometimes  ate  up  the  bushes.  By  and  by- 
there  were  only  a  few  Rose- Bushes  left  in  the 
whole  world. 

Well,  the  Rose- Bushes  that  were  left  met  to- 
gether to  see  what  they  could  do  about  it,  and 
they  decided  to  go  and  find  Nanahboozhoo,  and 
ask  him  for  help. 

Now  this  Nanahboozhoo  was  a  strange  fellow. 
He  had  magic  power  and  could  make  himself  as 
tall  as  a  tree  or  as  small  as  a  Turtle.  He  could 
not  be  drowned  or  burned  or  killed,  and  he  had 
a  very  bad  temper  when  he  was  displeased.  He 
was  hard  to  find,  for  sometimes  he  was  an  animal 
and  at  other  times  a  man. 

But  the  Rose-Bushes  decided  to  look  for  him, 
and  they  hurried  away  on  the  back  of  a  wind  that 
they  hired  to  carry  them.  And  as  they  went  along, 
they  asked  every  tree  and  animal  they  met,  "  Have 
you  seen  Nanaboozhoo  ? "  And  all  answered, 
"No." 

The  Rose-Bushes  flew  on  and  on,  the  wind 
blowing  them  along,  and  by  and  by  they  met 
a  little  animal  that  said,  "  Nanahboozhoo  is  in  a 


WHY   WILD   ROSES   HAVE   THORNS     47 

valley  among  the  mountains,  where  he  is  planting 
and  taking  care  of  a  flower-garden." 

The  Rose-Bushes  were  delighted  to  hear  this, 
and  told  the  wind  to  blow  them  to  that  valley,  and 
it  did.  As  they  drew  near  the  flower-garden,  they 
heard  Nanahboozhoo  shouting,  for  he  was  in  a 
great  rage.  At  this  the  Rose-Bushes  were  dread- 
fully frightened,  and  hid  among  some  Balsam 
Trees.  But  they  soon  learned  why  Nanahbooz- 
hoo was  angry. 

Some  weeks  before  he  had  planted  a  hedge  of 
Wild  Roses  around  his  garden,  and  when  they 
were  covered  with  spicy  pink  blossoms,  he  had 
gone  away  for  a  few  days.  Just  before  the  Rose- 
Bushes  had  arrived  and  hidden  among  the  Bal- 
sams, he  had  returned  to  his  garden.  What  was 
his  anger  to  find  that  the  Rabbits  and  other  crea- 
tures had  eaten  up  his  hedge  of  Wild  Roses,  and 
trampled  down  all  his  flowers. 

Now,  when  the  Rose-Bushes  knew  why  Na- 
nahboozhoo was  shouting  with  rage,  they  left 
their  hiding-place,  and  a  puff  of  wind  blew  them 
straight  to  Nanahboozhoo's  feet.  He  was  sur- 
prised to  see  them,  for  he  thought  that  all  Rose- 


48         THE  RED  INDIAN   FAIRY  BOOK 

Bushes  had  been  eaten  up ;  but  before  he  could 
say  a  word,  they  told  him  their  troubles. 

Nanahboozhoo  listened,  and,  after  talking  things 
over  with  the  Rose- Bushes,  he  gave  them  a  lot 
of  small,  thornlike  prickles  to  cover  their  branches 
and  stems  close  up  to  the  flowers,  so  that  the 
animals  would  not  be  able  to  eat  them.  After  that 
Nanahboozhoo  sent  the  Rose-Bushes  to  their 
home,  on  the  back  of  the  wind. 

And  ever  since  that  day  all  Wild  Roses  have 
had  many  thorns. 


HOW  THE  FAIRIES  CAME 

[Algonquin) 

In  the  country  of  the  Wabanaki,  ten  sisters  once 
lived  in  their  father's  lodge.  Each  was  more  beau- 
tiful than  any  other  maiden  in  the  land,  and  the 
youngest  was  the  most  beautiful  of  all. 

Many  handsome  braves  laid  their  gifts  before 
the  lodge  door.  So  nine  of  the  sisters  married 
and  went  to  live  with  their  mothers-in-law.  But 
the  youngest  refused  all  suitors,  and  stayed  in  her 
father's  lodge. 

One  day  an  old  man  named  Osseo  came  to 
woo  the  youngest.  His  eyes  were  bright  and  his 
thoughts  keen,  and  he  sang  softly  before  her  door. 
And  as  the  maiden  was  willing,  the  marriage- 
feast  was  held. 

The  nine  sisters  came  with  their  handsome 
husbands,  and  they  laughed  and  jeered  at  the 
bride,  because  her  husband  was  so  old.  But  she 
only  said:  "  Wait  and  see !  Soon  you  shall  know 
who  has  chosen  most  wisely." 

After  the  marriage -feast  was  over,  Osseo  led 


So         THE  RED  INDIAN  FAIRY  BOOK 

his  bride  toward  his  lodge  in  the  distant  forest. 
The  nine  sisters  and  their  husbands  went  with 
them  along  the  path.  Presently  they  passed  a  hol- 
low log.  Then  Osseo  gave  a  loud  call,  and  leav- 
ing the  side  of  his  bride,  dashed  into  the  log. 

Immediately  he  came  out  at  the  other  end,  no 
longer  old  and  wrinkled,  but  younger  and  hand- 
somer than  the  husbands  of  the  nine  sisters.  He 
then  led  the  party  forward  with  a  step  as  light  as 
the  Reindeer's. 

Soon  they  reached  a  splendid  lodge,  and  en- 
tered it.  A  delicious  feast  was  spread  in  wooden 
dishes,  and  the  sisters  and  their  husbands  sat 
down. 

"  The  food  you  see  before  you  is  magic  food," 
said  Osseo;  "eat  it  and  receive  a  gift  from  the 
Evening  Star,  whose  lodge  this  is." 

And  as  they  all  ate,  sweet  music  like  the  voices 
of  birds  fell  from  the  Sky.  The  lodge  began  to 
rise  in  the  air.  Higher  it  rose  through  the  trees, 
and  as  it  did  so,  it  changed  into  a  wonderful 
cage.  Its  poles  became  glittering  silver  wires,  and 
its  covering  was  of  the  shining  wings  of  blue, 
green,  and  yellow  insects. 


HOW   THE  FAIRIES   CAME  51 

And  as  the  silver  cage  passed  above  the  tree- 
tops,  the  wooden  dishes  became  scarlet  shells, 
and  the  nine  sisters  and  their  husbands  were 
transformed  into  birds.  Some  became  Bluebirds, 
others  Red-Breasted  Robins,  still  others  Golden 
Orioles,  and  birds  with  scarlet  wings.  Immedi- 
ately they  all  began  to  hop  about  the  cage  show- 
ing their  bright  feathers  and  singing  songs  sweeter 
than  those  sung  in  the  woodland. 

As  for  Osseo's  bride,  she  grew  more  lovely 
than  ever,  so  that  she  shone  like  a  star.  Her  gar- 
ments were  of  shimmering  green,  and  in  her  hair 
was  a  silver  feather. 

Higher  rose  the  cage,  until  it  reached  the  home 
of  the  Evening  Star. 

"Welcome,  my  son,"  said  he  to  Osseo.  "Bring 
in  your  lovely  bride,  but  hang  the  cage  of  col- 
oured birds  at  the  door.  Because  the  nine  sisters 
laughed  at  the  bride,  they  must  stay  outside. 

"Be  careful  that  you  never  open  the  cage,  nor 
let  the  ray  of  light  from  the  little  Star  dwelling 
near  us,  fall  upon  you.  For  the  ray  of  light  is  the 
little  Star's  bow  and  arrow,  and  if  it  touches  you, 
your  wife  and  the  birds  will  become  enchanted." 


52         THE  RED  INDIAN  FAIRY  BOOK 

So  Osseo  hung  up  the  cage  of  coloured  birds 
at  the  door  of  the  lodge;  and  he  and  his  wife  lived 
there  in  happiness.  In  time  a  son  was  born  to 
them,  who  was  brighter  than  the  starlight.  And 
when  he  grew  older,  Osseo  made  for  him  a  little 
bow  and  arrows. 

One  day  to  please  the  child  who  wished  to  shoot 
something,  Osseo  opened  the  door  of  the  silver 
cage,  and  let  the  coloured  birds  go  free,  and  they  flew 
singing  toward  the  Earth.  The  little  boy  shot  an 
arrow  after  them,  and  immediately  a  ray  of  light 
struck  Osseo.  Then  the  little  boy  began  to  float 
downward  through  the  Sky.  Soon  he  passed  the 
soft  white  clouds,  and  fell  gently  upon  a  green 
island  in  the  middle  of  a  wide  blue  lake.  The  col- 
oured birds  came  swiftly  flying  to  him,  with  songs 
of  joy. 

As  for  the  silver  cage,  it  descended  after,  its 
glittering  insect  wings  fluttering  from  its  sides. 
And  in  it  were  Osseo  and  his  wife.  As  the  cage 
touched  the  green  island,  it  became  a  shining 
lodge,  and  Osseo  and  his  wife,  the  little  boy,  and 
all  the  coloured  birds,  were  changed  into  bright 
and  joyous  Fairies. 


HOW   THE   FAIRIES   CAME  53 

And  ever  since  that  day,  on  Summer  starlit 
nights,  the  little  Fairies  join  hands,  and  dance 
around.  Their  shining  lodge  may  still  be  seen 
when  the  Moon's  beams  light  the  green  island. 
And  by  night  the  Indian  fisher-boys,  on  the  blue 
lake,  hear  the  sweet  voices  of  the  Fairy  dancers. 


THE  SUMMER  FAIRIES 

[Algonquin) 

In  the  long  ago,  when  people  lived  in  the  Early 
Red  Morning,  the  little  Fairies  of  Light  played  in 
the  forest  and  meadows.  Their  Queen  was  Sum- 
mer, and  wherever  they  danced  the  most  beauti- 
ful flowers  sprang  up,  the  reddest  berries  ripened 
in  the  green  grass,  and  the  sweetest  birds  sang  in 
the  trees. 

Once  Glooskap,  the  mighty  Indian,  left  the 
Land  of  Summer  and  Fairies,  and  journeyed  to 
the  Northland,  where  all  was  ice  and  snow.  And 
there  where  the  coldest  winds  blew  hard  he  found 
an  ancient  wigwam.  He  entered  the  wigwam  and 
saw  a  great  Giant  sitting. 

"Welcome!  O  Glooskap!"  said  the  Giant. 
"Welcome  to  my  land  of  cold.  My  name  is  Win- 
ter. Sit  here  beside  me,  and  I  will  tell  you  many 
tales  of  the  old  time." 

So  Glooskap  seated  himself,  and  Winter  gave 
him  a  pipe,  and  while  they  both  smoked  the  great 


THE  SUMMER  FAIRIES  5$ 

Giant  told  stories  of  the  old  time.  As  he  did  so,  he 
wove  a  magic  spell  of  Frost,  and  froze  Glooskap's 
tongue  so  that  he  could  not  speak,  and  bound  his 
limbs  so  that  he  could  not  move. 

Winter  talked  on  and  froze,  and  Glooskap  fell 
into  a  magic  slumber.  For  six  months  he  slept 
like  a  toad.  Then  the  charm  fled,  and  he  awoke 
and  arose,  and,  leaving  the  Land  of  Winter,  began 
to  travel  Southward. 

At  every  step  the  air  grew  warmer,  and  the  little 
flowers  sprang  up  in  his  path,  and  talked  to  him. 
And  so  he  travelled  on  until  at  last  he  came  to  the 
Forest  where  the  Fairies  of  Light  were  dancing 
with  Summer,  their  Queen,  —  Summer,  the  most 
beautiful  of  all  the  Fairies. 

When  Glooskap  saw  her,  he  caught  her  up  and 
hid  her  in  his  bosom,  and  then  hastened  away. 
All  the  little  Fairies  of  Light  hurried  after,  but 
Glooskap  cut  a  moose-hide  into  a  long  cord  and 
let  it  trail  behind  him.  The  Fairies  of  Light  pulled 
at  the  cord,  but  as  he  went  Glooskap  let  it  run  out, 
and  though  the  Fairies  pulled  hard,  soon  he  left 
them  far  behind. 

Northward  he  hurried  until  he  came  once  more 


56         THE  RED  INDIAN   FAIRY   BOOK 

to  the  land  of  ice  and  snow,  and  to  the  wigwam 
of  Winter,  the  Giant. 

Winter  welcomed  him  as  before,  for  he  hoped 
to  freeze  Glooskap  again  into  a  magic  sleep.  But 
this  time  Glooskap  had  Summer  hidden  in  his 
bosom.  This  time  Glooskap  told  all  the  tales  of 
the  old  time.  He  told  stories  of  the  hot  South- 
land, and  wove  a  magic  spell  of  sunshine.  He 
took  Summer,  the  Queen,  from  his  bosom. 

Soon  Winter  began  to  thaw,  and  the  water  ran 
down  his  face.  He  melted  more  and  more  until 
he  melted  quite  away.  The  wigwam,  too,  dis- 
solved into  little  streams  of  water. 

Then  everything  awoke.  Warm  breezes  began 
to  blow.  The  snow  vanished  and  the  snow-water 
ran  away  to  the  sea.  The  little  Fairies,  guided  by 
the  moose-cord,  came  trooping  from  the  South  to 
find  Summer,  their  Queen.  The  birds  flocked  to 
the  North,  and  everywhere  the  flowers  sprang  up. 

Then  Glooskap,  rejoicing,  left  Summer  the 
Queen  and  the  Fairies  of  Light  to  make  the  North 
beautiful  for  the  people,  and  returned  once  more 
to  his  home. 


LEELINAU  THE  FAIRY  GIRL 

(Chippewa) 

Once  on  the  shore  of  Lake  Superior,  there  lived 
a  lovely  Indian  girl,  named  Leelinau.  She  was 
slender  and  tiny,  with  soft  dark  eyes,  and  little 
feet.  And  whenever  the  Moon  rose  faint  and  white 
while  the  Sun  was  setting,  she  danced  in  a  Pine 
grove  by  the  shore. 

And  when  she  danced  thus,  her  mother  called: 
"Come  into  the  lodge,  Leelinau,  for  the  silver 
Moon  is  rising.  Soon  the  Little  People,  the  Fair- 
ies, will  come  out  to  play  among  the  trees.  And 
they  carry  away  dancing  maidens."  And  Leelinau 
returned  sorrowfully  to  the  lodge,  for  she  longed 
to  see  the  Fairies. 

Summer  after  Summer,  on  moonlit  nights,  the 
Little  People  joined  hands  and  danced  in  the 
Pine  grove,  and  their  sweet  voices  were  heard  by 
Leelinau  sitting  in  the  lodge.  And  when  the  In- 
dians slept,  the  mischievous  Fairies  came  creeping 
in,  and  Leelinau,  waking,  heard  their  low  laughter 
in  the  dark.    They  rustled  about,   and  hid  the 


58         THE  RED  INDIAN  FAIRY  BOOK 

fisher-boy's  paddle,  plucked  the  feather  from  the 
headdress  of  the  hunter,  and  carried  away  nuts 
and  fruit.  And  in  the  morning  Leelinau  saw  their 
tiny  footprints  in  the  sand  dunes  by  the  lake.  And 
so  it  happened  Summer  after  Summer. 

When  the  long  cold  Winter  nights  came,  the 
mother  sat  by  the  fire,  and  told  tales  of  Fairy- 
land. How  deep  in  the  Earth,  all  was  warm  and 
the  flowers  bloomed  and  the  birds  sang,  and  the 
Little  People  feasted  and  were  happy.  And  Lee- 
linau's  heart  was  filled  with  longing  to  visit  Fairy- 
land. And  so  it  happened  Winter  after  Winter. 

Now,  on  a  Summer  day,  a  handsome  brave 
came  to  woo  Leelinau.  Her  mother  dressed  her 
for  the  marriage.  She  braided  her  hair  with  sweet 
grasses,  and  put  her  best  garments  upon  her,  and 
led  her  out  to  the  marriage-feast.  And  the  braves 
and  squaws  and  youths  and  maidens  of  the  Chip- 
pewas,  for  miles  around,  came  to  the  feast. 

But  Leelinau  sighed  and  wept,  and  begged  that 
she  might  go  alone  once  more  to  the  Pine  grove 
before  she  became  a  bride.  Her  mother  said, 
"  Yes."  So  at  evening  time  Leelinau  wound  wild 
flowers  in  her  hair,  and  filled   her  arms  with 


LEELINAU,  THE  FAIRY  GIRL  59 

tassels  of  the  Pine.  Then  she  hastened  to  the 
grove. 

Darkness  fell,  and  Leelinau  did  not  return.  The 
Moon  rose  and  shed  its  white  beams  on  the  lake, 
but  the  maiden  did  not  come.  The  bridegroom 
and  guests  went  to  search  for  the  bride.  They 
wandered  through  the  grove,  and  sought  up  and 
down  the  shore,  but  Leelinau  was  gone. 

And  no  one  saw  her  go,  except  one  poor  fisher- 
lad,  who  was  paddling  his  canoe  near  the  land. 
He  watched  her  wandering  through  the  grove, 
and  dancing  with  a  bright  Fairy  Chief,  whose 
green  plumes  nodded  high  above  his  head.  And 
Leelinau  was  never  seen  again  on  the  shore  of 
Lake  Superior. 


THE  SKY  ELK 

[Iroquois) 

A  mighty  hunter  was  Sosondowah.  His  form 
was  lithe,  his  step  noiseless,  and  his  hair  black 
like  the  Crow's  wing.  His  keen  eyes  saw  every 
track  made  by  wild  things,  and  he  knew  the  songs 
of  birds  and  the  calls  of  all  creatures.  He  roved 
through  the  forest,  his  bow  bent,  and  his  feathered 
arrow  ready  for  flight,  his  soft  step  never  stirring 
a  leaf  nor  breaking  a  twig. 

One  day  in  the  hush  of  the  noon  hour,  he  forced 
his  way  through  a  thicket,  and  entered  a  glade 
encircled  with  trees  and  fringed  with  low  bushes. 
And  under  an  Oak,  in  the  centre  of  the  glade,  he 
saw  a  great  Sky  Elk  that  had  escaped  from  the 
Elk  grazing-fields  that  shine  far  beyond  the  path 
of  the  Sun.  It  was  turning  its  watchful  eyes  from 
side  to  side.  It  was  dusky  and  huge  like  a  shadow, 
and  its  spreading  antlers  brushed  back  the  boughs 
of  the  Oak. 

And  when  Sosondowah  saw  the  Sky  Elk,  his 
eyes  flashed,  and  he  made  ready  to  shoot.    But 


AS    HE    WENT    UP   HE    SHOT    MANY    SIGHING    ARROWS 


■ 


THE   SKY   ELK  61 

first  in  order  to  obey  the  law  of  the  forest, — which 
commands  hunters  to  warn  a  beast  before  shoot- 
ing so  that  it  may  have  a  chance  to  escape,  —  he 
shook  a  small  sapling,  and  its  rustling  leaves  bade 
the  Sky  Elk  flee  for  its  life. 

The  animal  heard  the  sound,  and,  lifting  its 
head,  snuffed  the  air.  Then  with  a  snort  it  bounded 
away.  Through  the  tangled  paths  of  the  forest  it 
fled,  pursued  by  Sosondowah's  swift  arrows.  But 
as  the  arrows  struck  the  dusky  sides  of  the  Elk, 
they  fell  blunted  and  harmless  to  the  ground. 

Unwounded,  the  animal  hastened  on  hour  after 
hour.  Along  forest  paths  and  through  meadow 
land  it  sped,  up  hills  and  down  into  valleys  it  ran, 
and  it  leaped  streams  and  ravines.  And  after  it 
with  swift,  noiseless  feet  Sosondowah  followed. 

The  noonday  passed,  the  afternoon  waned,  the 
sunset  painted  the  Western  Sky,  darkness  fell, 
the  Moon  arose  and  cast  mocking  white  beams 
on  the  land.  But  ever,  like  a  winged  shadow,  the 
Sky  Elk  silently  fled  before,  and  Sosondowah, 
shooting  his  feathered  arrows,  followed  after. 

And  when  the  Sky  showed  that  day  was  near, 
and  the  Dawn  Maid  arose  and  began  to  paint  the 


0 


62  THE  RED  INDIAN  FAIRY  BOOK 

East  with  the  red  plumes  of  light,  the  Sky  Elk 
quickened  its  pace.  Reaching  the  edge  of  the 
world,  it  leaped  up  the  rosy-white  cloud-hills, 
and  hastened  to  the  Dawn  Maid's  lodge  in  the 
Land  of  the  Early  Red  Morning. 

When  Sosondowah  saw  this,  he  caught  hold  of 
the  wing  of  a  Night- Bird  that  soared  with  him 
into  the  Sky.  And  as  he  went  up  he  shot  many 
sighing  arrows  from  his  bow.  Then  the  evil 
Night- Bird  suddenly  shook  Sosondowah  from 
its  wing,  and  he  fell  toward  the  Earth. 

But  the  Dawn  Maid  from  her  lodge  saw  him 
fall,  and,  stretching  out  her  arms,  caught  him,  and 
drew  him  safely  into  the  Land  of  the  Early  Red 
Morning.  She  placed  him  at  the  door  of  her  lodge, 
and  commanded  him  to  watch  and  guard  it  for- 
ever. 

But  Sosondowah  never  saw  the  Sky  Elk  again, 
for  it  had  returned  to  the  Elk  grazing-flelds  that 
shine  far  beyond  the  path  of  the  Sun. 


•it* 


LEGEND  OF  THE  MORNING  STAR 
{Iroquois) 

Sosondowah  guarded  well  the  Dawn  Maid's 
lodge,  but  as  the  days  passed,  he  began  to  long 
to  visit  the  Earth  again.  He  begged  the  Dawn 
Maid  to  let  him  depart,  but  she  would  not. 

One  morning,  when  the  East  was  painted  with 
the  red  plumes  of  light,  he  looked  down  on  the 
Earth,  and  saw  a  beautiful  maiden  standing  by  a 
river's  brink.  And  as  he  looked,  tenderness  as 
swift  as  an  arrow  quivered  in  his  heart.  And  after 
that  he  could  not  forget  the  River- Maiden,  for  he 
saw  her  face  each  morning  in  the  mists  that  rose 
to  the  Sky. 

Once  in  the  Springtime,  while  the  Dawn  Maid 
was  sleeping,  Sosondowah  left  her  lodge,  and  en- 
tered into  the  heart  of  a  Bluebird  that  was  dip- 
ping its  wings  in  the  blue  of  the  Sky.  Singing 
sweetly  the  bird  flew  down  to  the  river  and  the 
meadows  echoed  with  its  song. 

The   River-Maiden,    standing   by  the  river's 


64         THE  RED  INDIAN  FAIRY  BOOK 

brink,  saw  the  bird  coming,  and  heard  its  sweet 
song.  "  It  is  a  Bluebird !  "  she  cried.  "The  Spring 
is  here!  Now  the  Windflowers  will  dance  on 
their  stems,  and  the  Violets  will  peep  from  the 
leaves,  and  the  berries  will  ripen  in  the  grass  I " 

And  at  her  cry  the  Bluebird  came,  and  sat 
upon  her  shoulder,  and  nestled  its  head  against 
her  cheek.  And  as  she  caressed  it,  the  heart  of 
Sosondowah,  under  the  wing  of  the  bird,  beat 
quick  with  happiness. 

But  the  Sun  was  near,  and  he  was  forced  to 
return  to  the  Dawn  Maid's  lodge.  And  as  the 
Bluebird  flew  upward,  its  sweet  song  was  wafted 
down  to  the  river. 

When  the  Summer  was  come,  once  again  while 
the  Dawn  Maid  was  sleeping,  Sosondowah  en- 
tered into  the  heart  of  a  Blackbird  that  was  flying 
through  the  woodland  whistling  its  song.  On  the 
Elm,  the  Ash,  and  the  Oak  it  swung  in  the 
branches  whistling  with  joy,  until  there  came  a 
faint  call  from  the  river. 

Swiftly  the  Bird  flew  to  the  river's  brink,  and 
there  was  the  River-Maiden  standing.  "It  is  a 
Blackbird !  "  she  whispered.   "  The  Summer  is 


LEGEND  OF  THE  MORNING  STAR       65 

here!  Now  the  Fruit  will  ripen  in  the  trees,  and 
the  Maize  will  grow  high  toward  the  Sun ! " 

And  she  held  out  her  hand,  and  the  Blackbird 
flew  at  her  call.  And  as  she  caressed  it  the  bird 
lifted  its  beak  close  to  her  lips.  "  It  is  II "  Soson- 
dowah  plaintively  whispered,  from  the  heart  of 
the  bird.  But  she  heard  him  not. 

The  Sun  was  near,  and  he  was  forced  to  return 
to  the  Dawn  Maid's  lodge.  And  as  the  Blackbird 
flew  upward,  its  rich,  whistling  notes  were  wafted 
down  to  the  river. 

In  the  Autumn,  when  the  trees  shed  their  bright 
leaves  and  the  fur  of  the  Elk  grows  long,  Soson- 
dowah  crept  into  the  heart  of  a  huge  Night  Hawk 
that  was  searching  the  waters  for  its  prey.  Through 
the  mists  of  the  night,  all  over  the  land  was  heard 
its  harsh  cry.  Down  to  the  river  it  flew,  uttering 
piteous  calls  until  it  found  the  River- Maiden  sleep- 
ing on  the  river's  brink. 

"It  is  she!  'Tis  my  bride!"  whispered  Soson- 
dowah  in  the  heart  of  the  Hawk.  And  the  bird, 
swooping  down,  lifted  the  River- Maiden  on  its 
broad  wings,  and  bore  her  away  to  the  Sky.  And 
all  the  waters  of  Earth  heard  his  harsh  cries  of 
triumph  wafted  down  with  the  dew. 


66          THE  RED  INDIAN  FAIRY  BOOK 

And  meanwhile  the  Dawn  Maid  awoke  and 
found  the  lodge  empty,  and  Sosondowah  gone. 
Rising  in  anger,  she  painted  the  East  with  the 
red  plumes  of  light. 

And  soon  Sosondowah  left  the  heart  of  the 
Hawk,  and  returned  to  the  lodge  bearing  his  bride 
in  his  arms.  And  when  the  Dawn  Maid  saw  him, 
she  uttered  many  reproaches.  With  her  magic  arts 
she  touched  the  River- Maiden,  and  turned  her  into 
a  large  and  bright  Star,  and  placed  her  forever 
on  Sosondowah's  forehead. 

And  there,  each  day  at  dawn,  she  shines  beauti- 
ful and  bright,  and  the  Pale  Face  Children  call 
her  "The  Morning  Star." 


JULY  THE  HOT  MONTH 


THE   FIREBIRD 

(Whullemoocti) 

Very  long  ago  the  Indians  of  Puget  Sound  had 
no  fire.  They  had  heard  of  fire  but  they  had  never 
seen  it.  They  ate  all  their  food  raw,  and  on  cold 
days  sat  shivering  and  unhappy.  And  they  had  no 
pleasant  lodge  fire  to  gather  around  on  wet  nights. 
It  happened  one  day,  while  the  people  were  sit- 
ting on  the  grass  eating  raw  meat,  that  a  beautiful 


70         THE  RED  INDIAN  FAIRY  BOOK 

bird  suddenly  flew  above  their  heads.  It  had  shin- 
ing feathers,  and  bright  eyes  like  jewels,  and  its 
long,  waving  tail  gave  out  rays  like  the  Sun.  It 
hovered  over  the  heads  of  the  people,  and  flew  in 
circles  around  and  around. 

"Pretty  Bird,  what  do  you  want?"  said  the 
people. 

"I  come,"  replied  the  bird,  "from  a  beautiful 
country  far  away.  I  am  the  Firebird,  and  I  bring 
you  the  blessing  of  heat.  The  rays  you  see  shin- 
ing about  my  tail  are  tongues  of  flame." 

"Oh,  pretty  Bird,"  cried  the  people,  "give  us 
the  fire,  so  that  we  may  cook  our  food  and  warm 
ourselves  1" 

"  If  you  wish  the  fire,"  said  the  bird,  "you  must 
earn  it.  I  cannot  give  it  to  any  one  who  has  done 
a  bad  deed  or  a  mean  action.  To-day  let  each  of 
you  get  ready  some  pitch  pine.  To-morrow  I  will 
return,  and  then  you  shall  see  who  will  get  the 
fire."  So  saying,  the  bird  flew  away. 

The  next  day  it  returned.  "  Have  you  the  pitch 
pine  ready?"  asked  the  bird. 

"Yes!  yes!"  said  all  the  people. 

"Very  well,"  said  the  bird.  "  Here  I  go!  Catch 


THE  FIREBIRD  71 

me  if  you  can.  Whoever  puts  some  pitch  pine  on 
my  tail  shall  get  the  fire  to  warm  himself  by,  and 
cook  his  meals  on,  and  to  be  a  blessing  to  the 
Children  of  Puget  Sound  forever." 

Then  away  flew  the  bird  close  to  the  ground.  And 
away  went  all  the  people  running  after  it,  braves 
and  squaws,  youths  and  maidens,  boys  and  girls, 
and  little  children.  Helter-skelter  they  ran  laugh- 
ing and  shouting.  Some  tripped  on  stones,  others 
caught  in  bushes  and  scratched  themselves  on 
thorns,  and  others  fell  into  water-holes.  By  and 
by  some  of  the  people  went  back  angrily  to  their 
lodges,  but  the  rest  kept  up  the  chase. 

But  no  one  could  catch  the  Firebird.  When 
one  man  tried  to  grasp  its  tail,  the  bird  cried  out, 
"  You  are  too  selfish,  you  cannot  have  the  fire." 
And  to  another  man  it  cried,  "  You  are  a  thief," 
and  to  still  another,  "  You  tell  lies." 

At  last  the  bird  flew  toward  a  lodge.  In  the 
door  was  a  poor  woman  taking  care  of  a  sick  old 
man. 

"Pretty  Bird!  Pretty  Bird!"  called  she.  "I 
cannot  follow  you  now.  Will  you  not  come  here 
and  give  me  your  fire  ?  " 


72         THE  RED  INDIAN  FAIRY  BOOK 

"  What  good  have  you  done  ?  "  asked  the  bird. 

" 1  have  done  no  good,"  answered  the  woman 
sadly.  "  I  have  had  no  time  for  that.  I  must  stay 
here  and  care  for  my  sick  father,  and  look  after 
my  little  children." 

"Kind  woman,"  said  the  Firebird,  "you  do 
your  duty,  so  you  are  doing  good.  Bring  some 
wood  and  put  it  on  my  tail,  and  take  the  fire." 

The  woman  hastened  joyfully  to  fetch  some 
wood,  and  when  she  laid  it  on  the  Firebird's  tail, 
the  flames  blazed  up.  Then  all  the  other  women 
of  the  tribe  brought  wood  and  got  fire  from  her, 
and  ever  after  they  were  able  to  cook  their  meat 
and  warm  themselves. 

As  for  the  Firebird,  it  flew  away  and  they  never 
saw  it  again. 

That  is  how  the  Indians  of  Puget  Sound  say 
they  got  fire. 


YOUNG-BOY-CHIEF 
(Wichita) 

Young-Boy-Chief  and  his  sister  dwelt  in  a 
grass-lodge  on  the  wide  prairie,  and  with  them 
lived  a  puppy  they  called  Little  Dog.  The  sister 
owned  a  magic  double  ball  and  stick,  on  which 
she  rode  very  fast  whenever  she  wished  to  travel 
over  the  prairie,  while  Young-Boy-Chief  was  a 
great  hunter,  and  had  a  bow  and  four  magic  ar- 
rows. Two  of  his  arrows  were  red,  and  the  other 
two,  black.  He  shot  so  many  Deer  that  he  and 
his  sister  always  had  plenty  of  fresh  meat,  and 
Little  Dog  had  all  the  bones  he  wanted. 

One  hot  Summer  day,  the  sister  went  to  the 
creek  to  fetch  water,  and  she  saw  a  Deer  —  as 
she  thought  —  lying  on  the  bank.  She  hurried 
back  to  the  lodge  and  called  her  brother,  but  he 
did  not  come.  She  called  four  times,  and  then  he 
came  from  the  lodge  carrying  his  bow  and  ar- 
rows. She  told  him  where  the  Deer  was,  and  he 
ran  down  to  the  creek. 

Now,  this  was  no  ordinary  Deer,  but  Big- Elk 


74          THE  RED  INDIAN  FAIRY  BOOK 

with  magic  power.  Young-Boy-Chief  shot  an 
arrow  at  the  animal,  and  the  arrow  was  broken 
in  pieces.  He  shot  again  and  again,  until  all  his 
arrows  were  broken  in  small  bits.  Then  Big- Elk 
raised  himself  from  the  ground,  and,  rushing  at 
Young-Boy-Chief,  tossed  him  on  his  antlers,  and 
carried  him  off  across  the  prairie. 

After  Big-Elk  had  carried  off  Young-Boy- 
Chief,  his  sister  waited  a  long  time,  and  her 
brother  did  not  come.  Then  she  went  down  to 
the  creek,  and  saw  his  broken  arrows  lying  there. 
She  gathered  up  the  pieces,  and  took  them  home. 
She  mourned  for  some  days,  after  which  she 
decided  to  set  out,  and  search  for  her  brother. 

She  ground  enough  corn  to  last  her  for  a  long 
time,  and  put  it  in  a  bag.  She  told  Little  Dog 
that  she  was  going  away,  but  he  must  stay  at 
home  and  get  plenty  of  fresh  meat,  so  that  she 
might  have  something  to  eat  when  she  came 
back.  She  then  filled  a  gourd  with  water  for 
Little  Dog,  and  taking  her  magic  double  ball  and 
stick,  she  travelled  on  them  across  the  prairie, 
and  as  she  went  swiftly  along,  she  wept,  and 
sang :  — 


YOUNG-BOY-CHIEF  75 

"Brother!   Brother! 
It  was  all  my  fault,  for  I  said  it  was  a  Deer! 
It  was  all  my  fault,  for  I  said  it  was  a  Deer! 

It  was  Big-Elk! 

It  was  Big-Elk!" 

And  she  continued  her  journey,  now  weeping 
and  now  singing. 

At  length  she  came  to  a  hill,  and  on  the  top 
of  it  stood  Mountain  Lion.  At  first  he  would  not 
let  her  pass,  but  when  she  gave  him  some  corn 
meal,  he  said :  — 

"You  are  a  good  girl;  so  I  will  tell  you  this. 
A  short  time  ago  Big- Elk  went  by  carrying 
Young-Boy-Chief  on  his  antlers.  I  do  not  know 
whether  your  brother  was  alive  or  not.  If  you 
will  go  to  the  next  hill,  you  will  find  somebody 
who  may  tell  you." 

So  the  girl  journeyed  on,  riding  on  her  magic 
double  ball  and  stick;  now  weeping  and  now 
singing. 

At  length  she  came  to  another  hill,  and  on  the 
top  of  it  stood  Brown  Bear.  At  first  he  would 
not  let  her  pass,  but  when  she  gave  him  some 
corn  meal,  he  said :  — 


76         THE  RED  INDIAN  FAIRY  BOOK 

"You  are  a  good  girl;  so  I  will  tell  you  this. 
A  short  time  ago  Big- Elk  went  by  with  Young- 
Boy-Chief  on  his  antlers.  If  you  wish  to  rescue 
your  brother,  you  must  go  to  Old  Bull.  He  lives 
in  a  dug-out  on  yonder  hill.  You  will  see  a  little 
child  playing  before  the  door.  You  must  take  him 
on  your  back,  and  enter  the  dug-out.  Sit  down, 
and  give  him  plenty  of  corn  meal.  Tell  Old  Bull 
about  your  brother,  and  he  will  help  you.  The 
little  child  is  his  favourite  son." 

So  the  girl  went  on  her  way  to  the  other  hill, 
now  weeping,  and  now  singing.  Soon  she  reached 
the  dug-out,  and  saw  the  child  playing  before  the 
door.  She  took  him  on  her  back,  and  entering, 
sat  down  by  the  fireplace.  She  gave  the  child 
plenty  of  corn  meal.  Near  her  sat  Old  Bull  smok- 
ing his  pipe.  So  she  told  him  all  about  her 
brother,  and  he  said :  — 

"You  are  a  good  girl;  so  I  will  help  you.  It 
will  be  hard  to  kill  Big- Elk,  but  if  you  will  stay 
until  to-morrow  morning,  I  will  see  what  I  can 
do." 

The  girl  was  glad  when  she  heard  this,  and 
she  slept  in  the  dug-out  that  night.    The  next 


YOUNG-BOY-CHIEF  77 

morning  she  rose,  and  went  with  Old  Bull  to  the 
foot  of  the  hill,  and  there  she  hid  behind  some 
bushes. 

Soon  she  heard  a  noise  like  a  fierce  storm,  and 
saw  streaks  of  fire  in  the  air.  So  she  knew  that 
Big-Elk  was  coming.  The  noise  came  nearer 
and  nearer,  and  Big- Elk  appeared  bounding  over 
the  prairie.  And  the  girl  could  hear  her  brother's 
voice  singing  mournfully :  — 

"Sister!   Sister! 
Big-Elk  is  carrying  me  on  his  antlers! 
Big-Elk  is  carrying  me  on  his  antlers! 

I  am  alive! 

I  am  alive!" 

Then  her  brother  moaned,  as  if  he  was  nearly- 
dead,  for  he  had  had  nothing  to  eat. 

When  Old  Bull  saw  Big- Elk  coming,  he  changed 
himself  into  a  Snowbird  holding  a  tiny  magic  bow 
and  arrow  in  his  claws.  Big- Elk  came  running 
past,  whistling  like  the  wind,  and  Old  Bull  shot 
his  arrow.  Immediately  Big- Elk  fell  to  the  ground 
dead. 

Then  Old  Bull  changed  himself  back  again,  as 
he  was  before,  and  hurried  to  help  Young-Boy- 


78         THE  RED  INDIAN  FAIRY  BOOK 

Chief  off  the  antlers.  Together  they  piled  wood 
around  Big-Elk's  body,  and  set  it  on  fire,  and 
burned  him  to  ashes ;  so  that  he  could  not  come 
to  life  again. 

When  the  sister  saw  this,  she  came  running 
from  behind  the  bushes,  and  kissed  her  brother, 
and  they  were  happy.  They  thanked  Old  Bull. 
Then  they  journeyed  home  over  the  prairie,  the 
sister  riding  on  her  double  ball  and  stick,  while 
Young-Boy-Chief  travelled  on  his  magic  arrows, 
for  he  had  found  them  sticking  in  his  belt,  all 
whole  again. 

But,  alas!  when  they  drew  near  their  grass- 
lodge,  Little  Dog  did  not  run  out  to  meet  them. 
The  sister  called:  "  Little  Dog !  Little  Dog !  Here 
is  my  brother!  "    But  Little  Dog  did  not  come. 

They  went  into  the  lodge,  and  all  that  they  saw 
of  Little  Dog  was  his  hair  and  his  bones  lying 
in  a  pile.  And  near  him  was  a  heap  of  fresh 
meat,  and  the  gourd  full  of  water.  Little  Dog  had 
neither  eaten  nor  drunk,  since  the  sister  went 
away,  for  he  had  wished  to  keep  everything  for 
her.    So  he  had  starved  to  death. 

Then  the  sister  took  his  hair  and  bones,  and 


YOUNG-BOY-CHIEF  79 

threw  them  into  the  creek.  And  out  jumped 
Little  Dog  alive  and  well,  barking  and  wagging 
his  tail. 

After  that  Young- Boy-Chief  and  his  sister, 
with  Little  Dog,  lived  happily  together  in  their 
grass-lodge.  And  Young-Boy-Chief  was  a 
greater  hunter  than  ever  before. 


THE  STAR  BRIDE 

{Blackfoot) 

Once  in  the  hot  Summer  weather,  a  lovely  girl, 
named  Feather  Woman,  was  sleeping  among  the 
tall  prairie  grasses  by  the  side  of  her  lodge.  She 
awoke  just  as  the  Morning  Star  was  rising.  As 
she  gazed  at  its  brightness,  it  seemed  so  beautiful 
that  she  loved  it  with  all  her  heart.  She  roused 
her  sister,  who  was  sleeping  beside  her,  and  said: 
"Oh,  sister,  look  at  the  Morning  Star!  I  will 
never  marry  anybody  except  that  Star ! " 

The  sister  laughed  at  her,  and,  getting  up,  ran 
into  the  camp,  and  told  what  Feather  Woman 
had  said,  and  the  people  all  mocked  and  laughed. 
But  Feather  Woman  paid  no  heed  to  their  un- 
kind words,  but  rose  each  day  at  dawn,  and  gazed 
on  the  Morning  Star. 

One  morning  early,  as  she  went  alone  to  the 
river,  to  fetch  water  for  the  lodge,  she  beheld  a 
bright  youth  standing  in  the  river-path. 

"  Feather  Woman,"  said  he,  smiling,  "  I  am 
Morning  Star.   I  have  seen  you  gazing  upward, 


THE   STAR  BRIDE  81 

and  am  now  come  to  carry  you  back  with  me 
to  my  dwelling." 

At  this  Feather  Woman  trembled  greatly .  Then 
Morning  Star  took  from  his  head  a  rich  yellow 
plume.  He  placed  it  in  her  right  hand,  while  in 
her  other  hand  he  put  a  branch  of  Juniper.  And 
he  bade  her  close  her  eyes,  and  she  did  so. 

When  she  opened  her  eyes,  she  was  in  the  Sky 
Land,  standing  in  front  of  a  shining  lodge,  and 
Morning  Star  was  by  her  side.  This  was  the 
home  of  his  parents,  the  Sun  and  the  Moon. 

The  Sun  was  away,  casting  his  hottest  Sum- 
mer rays  on  the  parched  Earth,  but  the  Moon 
was  at  home,  and  she  welcomed  Feather  Woman 
kindly.  She  dressed  the  girl  in  a  soft  robe  of 
buckskin  trimmed  with  Elk-teeth.  And  when  the 
Sun  came  back  that  night,  he  called  Feather 
Woman  his  daughter. 

So  she  was  married  to  Morning  Star,  and  they 
lived  happily  in  the  shining  lodge.  In  time  they 
had  a  little  son,  whom  they  named  Star-Boy. 

One  day  the  Moon  gave  Feather  Woman  a 
root-digger,  and  told  her  to  go  about  the  Sky 
Land,  and  dig  up  all  kinds  of  roots ;  but  on  no 


82         THE  RED   INDIAN  FAIRY  BOOK 

account  to  touch  the  Great  Turnip  that  grew  near 
the  lodge.  For  if  she  did  so,  unhappiness  would 
come  to  them  all. 

So  day  after  day,  Feather  Woman  went  out 
and  dug  roots.  She  often  saw  the  Great  Turnip, 
but  though  she  never  touched  it,  her  heart  was 
filled  with  a  desire  to  see  what  lay  beneath  it. 

One  day  as  she  was  wandering  near  the  lodge, 
she  was  so  overcome  by  curiosity,  that  she  laid 
Star- Boy  on  the  ground,  and  taking  her  root- 
digger,  began  to  dig  around  the  Great  Turnip. 
But  the  digger  fastened  itself  in  the  side  of  the 
Turnip,  and  she  could  not  withdraw  it.  Just  then 
two  large  Cranes  flew  over  her  head,  and  she 
called  them  to  help  her.  They  sang  a  magic  song, 
and  the  Great  Turnip  was  uprooted. 

Then  Feather  Woman  looked  down  through 
the  hole  where  the  Turnip  had  been,  and,  lo,  far 
below  she  saw  the  camp  of  the  Blackfeet,  where 
she  had  lived.  The  smoke  ascended  from  the 
lodges,  and  she  could  hear  the  laughter  of  the 
playing  children,  and  the  songs  of  the  women  at 
work.  The  sight  filled  her  with  homesickness,  and 
she  went  back  weeping  to  the  shining  lodge. 


THE  STAR  BRIDE  83 

As  she  entered,  Morning  Star  looked  earnestly 
at  her,  and  said,  "Alas!  Feather  Woman,  you 
have  uprooted  the  Great  Turnip !  " 

The  Sun  and  the  Moon,  also,  were  troubled, 
when  they  knew  she  had  been  disobedient  to  their 
wishes ;  and  they  said  that  she  must  return  at 
once  to  Earth.  So  Morning  Star  took  Feather 
Woman  sadly  by  the  hand,  and  placing  little 
Star-Boy  upon  her  shoulder,  led  her  to  the  Spider 
Man  who  lived  in  the  Sky  Land. 

Then  the  Spider  Man  wove  a  web  through  the 
hole  made  by  the  Great  Turnip,  and  let  Feather 
Woman  and  her  child  down  to  the  Earth.  And 
her  people  saw  her  coming  like  a  falling  Star. 

She  was  welcomed  by  her  parents,  and  they 
loved  little  Star- Boy.  And  though  after  that 
Feather  Woman  always  lived  with  her  people, 
she  was  not  happy ;  but  longed  to  return  to  the 
Sky  Land,  and  see  Morning  Star.  But  her  long- 
ings were  in  vain,  and  soon  her  unhappy  life  was 
ended. 


SCAR-FACE 

(Blackfoot) 

As  for  little  Star-Boy,  soon  after  his  mother  died, 
his  grandparents  died  too,  and  he  was  left  alone, 
poor  and  neglected.  And  though  he  was  very 
beautiful  of  form,  his  face  was  disfigured  by  a 
long  and  ugly  scar.  So  the  people  called  him 
Scar- Face. 

As  he  grew  older,  the  scar  showed  more  plainly, 
and  the  people  of  the  camp  laughed  at  him,  and 
mistreated  him  in  every  way.  But  he  was  brave 
of  heart,  and,  when  he  became  a  man,  he  was 
a  great  hunter. 

Now,  the  Chief  of  his  tribe  had  a  lovely  daugh- 
ter, and  every  young  man  who  saw  her,  wished 
her  for  his  lodge.  But  she  was  proud,  and  would 
marry  no  one.  Scar- Face,  too,  loved  her,  but 
dared  not  tell  her  so,  because  he  was  ugly. 

But  one  day  he  found  her  by  the  river,  pulling 
rushes  for  baskets,  and  he  drew  near,  and  spoke. 
"  I  have  no  wealth  or  pemmican.    I  live  by  my 


SCAR-FACE  85 

bow  and  spear.  Yet  I  love  you.  Will  you  dwell 
in  my  lodge  and  be  my  wife?" 

Then  the  Chief's  daughter  laughed,  and  looked 
at  his  scar.  "Yes,"  she  said,  "I  will  marry  you 
—  but  not  until  you  remove  that  scar  from  your 
face ! " 

Poor  Scar- Face  was  greatly  mortified  by  her 
unkind  words,  but  his  heart  was  hopeful,  and  he 
hastened  away  from  the  river.  He  went  to  the 
lodge  of  an  old  Medicine  Woman,  who  dwelt  far 
away  on  the  broad  green  prairie.  And  he  begged 
her  to  remove  the  scar  from  his  face. 

"That  I  may  not  do,"  said  she,  "for  it  was 
placed  there  by  the  Sun.    He  only  can  remove  it." 

"And  how  may  I  reach  the  abode  of  the  Sun?" 
asked  Scar- Face. 

"Take  these  moccasins  and  pemmican,"  said 
the  Old  Medicine  Woman,  "and  travel  to  the  Big 
Sea  Water.  Sit  down  on  its  shore,  and  wait  three 
days,  then  shall  you  learn  how  to  reach  the  Sun's 
abode." 

So  Scar-Face  thanked  her  for  her  kindness,  and 
taking  the  pemmican,  and  putting  on  the  mocca- 
sins, he  hastened  and  crossed  the  trackless  prairie. 


86         THE  RED   INDIAN  FAIRY  BOOK 

Day  after  day  he  climbed  mountains,  or  passed 
through  wide  forests.  At  last  he  reached  the  Big 
Sea  Water.  He  sat  down  on  the  shore,  and  waited 
three  days,  and  on  the  third  day,  when  the  Sun 
was  sinking  below  the  distant  edge  of  the  Sea,  he 
beheld  a  shining  trail  that  led  to  the  Sun's  abode. 

Scar- Face  rose  up  rejoicing,  and  travelled  along 
the  trail,  and  soon  found  himself  in  the  Sky  Land, 
standing  before  the  lodge  of  the  Sun.  All  night 
he  hid  himself  outside  the  lodge,  and  in  the  morn- 
ing the  Moon  came  home  from  wandering  through 
the  Sky,  and  the  Sun  left  the  lodge  to  light  the 
Earth. 

When  the  Sun  saw  Scar- Face,  he  did  not  know 
that  the  young  man  was  his  grandson.  As  he 
perceived  that  Scar- Face  had  come  from  the 
Earth  Country,  he  was  about  to  slay  him  with 
his  burning  rays.  But  the  Moon  pitied  the  youth, 
and  urged  her  husband  to  spare  his  life. 

Then  Morning  Star  came  forth  from  the  lodge, 
and  knew  his  son.  He  led  him  inside,  and  the 
Moon  fed  and  clothed  Scar- Face.  And  after  that 
he  lived  happily  with  his  father  and  grandparents 
in  the  shining  lodge.    And  each  day  he  hunted 


SCAR-FACE  87 

with  Morning  Star.  But  the  Sun  warned  them 
both  not  to  go  near  the  Big  Sea  Water,  for  two 
monster  birds  dwelt  there,  who  were  waiting  to 
kill  Morning  Star. 

One  day  when  Scar- Face  and  his  father  were 
hunting  as  usual,  they  forgot  and  drew  near  to 
the  Big  Sea  Water.  Then  the  two  monster  birds 
swooped  down,  uttering  savage  cries.  They  tried 
to  kill  Morning  Star,  but  Scar- Face  slew  them 
both  with  his  arrows,  and  so  rescued  his  father. 

Then  the  grateful  Sun  removed  the  scar  from 
the  young  man's  face,  and  placed  two  raven- 
plumes  in  his  hair.  Morning  Star  gave  him  a 
magic  flute,  the  sweet  song  of  which  would  win 
for  Scar- Face  the  love  of  the  Chief's  daughter. 
After  that  the  Sun  sent  him  back  to  Earth  along 
the  trail  of  the  Milky  Way. 

Scar- Face  hastened  to  the  camp  of  his  people. 
He  played  on  the  magic  flute;  and  the  Chief's 
daughter  heard  its  sweet  song,  and  joyfully  fol- 
lowed him.  He  took  her  with  him  to  the  shining 
lodge  of  the  Sun  in  the  distant  Sky  Land.  And 
there  each  morning  Scar- Face  and  Morning  Star 
travel  together  through  the  Sky. 


AHNEAH  THE  ROSE  FLOWER 
(Iroquois) 

Once  in  a  forest  there  gushed  from  the  hollow 
of  a  rock,  a  wonderful  spring  known  to  all  Red 
Men.  It  possessed  mysterious  power  and  was 
watched  over  by  two  Spirits. 

From  sunrise  until  noon  Ohsweda  the  Spirit 
of  the  Spruce  Tree  was  its  guardian.  And  during 
those  hours,  all  who  drank  of  its  sparkling  water 
were  cured  of  sickness,  and  filled  with  a  name- 
less joy. 

But  when  the  slanting  shadow  of  the  afternoon 
touched  the  spring,  Ochdoah  the  Bat  swooped 
down  on  his  leathery  wings  and  brooded  over  its 
water.  Then  the  sparkle  died  out  of  its  tide,  and 
a  sluggish  poison  ran  forth  from  the  rock,  killing 
all  men  and  beasts  who  drank. 

Ahneah  the  Rose  Flower,  the  loveliest  of  In- 
dian maids,  went,  one  Summer  morning,  from  her 
lodge  to  the  spring  to  fetch  water  in  her  elmwood 
bowl.  She  set  the  bowl  down  by  the  rock,  and, 
sitting  in  the  cool  shade  of  the  trees,  wove  sweet- 


AHNEAH   THE   ROSE   FLOWER  89 

smelling  grass  into  baskets.  And  while  she  braided 
the  strands,  she  sang  the  Firefly  song  of  her 
people.  She  was  as  happy  as  she  was  lovely,  and 
forgot  the  passing  hours.  She  did  not  see  that 
the  slanting  shadow  of  afternoon  was  nearing  the 
spring.  It  glinted  on  the  rock  just  as  she  finished 
her  weaving. 

Then  leaning  over  the  spring,  she  plunged  her 
elmwood  bowl  into  the  sparkling  water.  But 
something  held  the  bowl  fast,  and  the  beautiful 
face  of  a  youth  smiled  up  at  her  from  the  ripples. 
It  smiled  and  nodded  as  it  floated  from  side  to 
side.  Then  it  vanished  for  a  moment,  only  to  re- 
turn, and  with  its  enchanting  smile  woo  the  fast- 
beating  heart  of  the  maid. 

And  while  she  was  gazing  entranced,  lo,  the 
slanting  shadow  of  afternoon  passed  over  the 
spring.  Then  the  beautiful  face  of  the  youth  faded 
away,  and  Ochdoah  the  Bat,  who  had  been  hover- 
ing in  the  shadow,  swooped  down  and  seized  the 
trembling  maid.  He  bore  her  swiftly  upward,  and 
with  fast  wing  left  even  the  wind  behind.  Onward 
he  flew,  then  suddenly  descended  and  plunged 
into  a  roaring  cataract.  And  there  Ahneah  the 


90         THE  RED  INDIAN  FAIRY  BOOK 

Rose  Flower  was  nearly  lost  in  the  swirl  of  the 
mad  torrent.  And  there  she  saw  near  her  a  face 
terrible  and  frowning.  And  as  she  turned  from  it 
with  a  shudder,  the  fierce  water  cast  her  up  on  the 
shore. 

The  horrible  face  appeared  again,  and  led  her 
down  beneath  the  Earth.  Into  a  cavern  it  led  her, 
glaring  with  flames,  around  which  danced  many 
Witches.  Something  pushed  her  into  the  circle 
of  dancers,  and  she  fell  fainting  to  the  ground. 

But  suddenly  she  felt  herself  breathe  new  air, 
and  she  opened  her  eyes.  And,  lo,  it  was  sunrise, 
and  she  stood  by  the  spring  in  the  hollow  of  the 
rock.  And  by  her  side  was  a  young  warrior  clad 
for  the  hunt.  He  bore  in  his  hand  a  branch  of  the 
Spruce  Tree,  and  on  his  head  were  two  wings,  — - 
one  of  the  Eagle  and  the  other  of  the  Owl. 

And  as  Ahneah  gazed  on  the  young  warrior, 
she  saw  the  face  of  the  beautiful  youth  who  had 
smiled  at  her  from  the  spring.  He  took  her  hand, 
and  told  her  his  story.  He  was  Ohsweda  the 
Spirit  of  the  Spruce  Tree,  who  guarded  the  spring 
from  sunrise  to  noon.  With  his  Eagle  wing  he 
could  fly  to  the  Sun,  and  with  his  Owl  wing  he 


AHNEAH   THE  ROSE  FLOWER  91 

wandered  through  the  whole  forest  in  the  night. 
He  had  seen  the  evil  Ochdoah  the  Bat  hovering 
in  the  shadow,  as  he  waited  to  seize  the  maid.  So 
Ohsweda  had  held  fast  her  bowl,  and  tried  to  warn 
her.  But  all  too  late,  for  the  slanting  shadow  of 
afternoon  had  passed  over  the  spring,  and  Ochdoah 
the  Bat,  swooping  down,  had  borne  away  the 
trembling  maid. 

Then  Ohsweda  the  Spirit  of  the  Spruce  Tree, 
on  his  Eagle  wing,  had  followed  swiftly  after. 
He  had  entered  the  dread  cavern  beneath  the 
Earth,  and  snatched  Ahneah  the  Rose  Flower 
from  the  Fire  Dance  of  the  Witches.  In  his  arms 
he  had  carried  her  back  to  the  spring,  and  at  sun- 
rise, with  the  healing  water,  had  caused  her  to 
open  her  eyes. 

All  this  did  Ohsweda  the  Spirit  of  the  Spruce 
Tree  relate  to  the  maid.  Then  with  a  happy  heart 
she  filled  her  elmwood  bowl,  and  sped  quickly  to 
her  lodge. 

But  as  day  by  day  passed,  Ahneah  the  Rose 
Flower  faded.  And  one  Summer  morn,  at  the 
vanishing  of  the  dew,  her  lodge  was  empty.  When 
her  people  entered  its  door,  they  heard  the  rustle 


92         THE  RED  INDIAN  FAIRY  BOOK 

and  whirr  of  wings,  then  a  strange  silence  rilled 
the  lodge.  And  by  the  side  of  the  couch,  where 
Ahneah  the  Rose  Flower  had  lain,  were  two 
fallen  feathers.  One  was  of  the  Eagle,  and  the 
other  of  the  Owl. 


AUGUST  THE  MONTH   OF  WATER  AND 
FORESTS 


LEGEND    OF   NIAGARA   AND   THE 
GREAT   LAKES 

{Chippewa) 

In  old,  old  times,  on  the  highest  peak  of  a  great 
mountain  dwelt  a  hunter  and  his  five  sparkling 
daughters.  Their  lodge  was  of  bright  birch  bark, 
and  on  clear  days  they  could  see  the  distant  sea 
flashing  like  a  silver  band. 

"Come  out!  Come  out!"  cried  the  youngest 


96         THE  RED  INDIAN  FAIRY  BOOK 

daughter,  the  little  Er.1  "  Come,  Su ! 2  Come  Mi ! « 
Come,  Hu ! 4  Come,  Cla ! 5  Let  us  away  to  the  sea 
where  the  foaming  breakers  roar!" 

So  they  left  their  lodge,  and  leaped,  and  sang 
with  happy  hearts.  Their  robes  were  of  blue  and 
chrysolite  green,  and  floated  on  the  breeze.  Their 
moccasins  were  of  frozen  water-drops,  and  their 
wings  of  painted  wind. 

And  they  scampered  and  romped  across  the 
plain,  or  floated  beneath  the  sky.  They  rushed 
past  valley  and  hill  and  field,  singing  and  shout- 
ing with  glee.  At  last  they  came  to  a  precipice 
of  jagged  rocks  and  moss. 

"Alas!"  cried  Er,  "what  a  fearful  leap!  But 
we  have  come  so  far,  we  must  go  on;  or  our 
father  will  laugh  at  us !  So  come,  Su !  Come,  Hu ! 
Come,  Mi!  Come,  Cla!  and  follow  me." 

Over  the  steep  they  sprang,  and  floated  down 
on  their  painted  wings.  They  leaped  and  they 
skipped  and  they  sang,  like  happy-hearted  birds. 
Then  little  Er  cried,  "  Let  us  up  and  down  the 
steep  again ! " 

So  up  and  down,  the  five  maids  skipped  and 

1  Erie.     2  Superior.     3  Michigan.     4  Huron.     6  St.  Clair. 


LEGEND  OF  NIAGARA  97 

laughed  at  the  sport  and  foam,  and  called  it  Nia- 
gara Falls ! 

And  to-day,  through  the  rainbow  mist,  you 
may  see  their  robes  of  blue  and  chrysolite  green, 
and  their  painted  wings,  and  their  twinkling  feet, 
as  the  five  play  in  the  waterfall. 


HOW  THE  HUNTER  BECAME  A 
PARTRIDGE 

(Passamaquoddy) 

One  day  in  late  autumn  a  hunter  in  the  Micmac 
country  travelled  through  the  woods,  and  he 
heard  in  the  distance  the  sound  of  footsteps  beat- 
ing on  the  ground.  He  hastened  to  the  spot 
whence  the  noise  came,  and  found  a  man  and  his 
wife  dancing  around  a  tree.  And  on  the  tree,  high 
among  the  boughs,  was  a  Raccoon.  The  man 
and  his  wife  had  danced  so  long  that  they  had 
worn  a  trench  in  the  earth ;  indeed,  they  were  in 
it  up  to  their  waists. 

"Why  are  you  dancing  in  this  strange  man- 
ner?" asked  the  hunter. 

"We  are  hungry,"  they  answered,  "and  we 
are  trying  to  dance  the  tree  down  to  the  ground, 
so  that  we  may  catch  the  Raccoon." 

"  If  I  show  you  a  better  way  than  that,"  said 
the  hunter,  "will  you  give  me  the  Raccoon's 
skin?" 


THE  HUNTER  BECOMES  A  PARTRIDGE    99 

"We  will  give  you  the  skin,"  answered  the 
others,  "if  you  will  catch  him  for  us." 

So  the  hunter  took  his  hatchet,  and  cut  down 
the  tree,  and  caught  the  Raccoon.  After  which  he 
took  the  skin  and  went  his  way. 

He  had  not  gone  far  along  the  trail  before  he 
met  a  strange  man  carrying  on  his  head  a  large 
Birch  wigwam  of  many  rooms.  The  hunter  was 
astonished  and  frightened  at  such  a  sight.  But 
the  stranger  stopped,  and  putting  down  the  wig- 
wam, seated  himself  on  the  ground,  and  invited 
the  hunter  to  smoke  and  talk  with  him. 

They  smoked  and  talked  together  for  a  while. 
Then  the  stranger  pointed  to  the  Raccoon's  skin 
in  the  hunter's  belt,  and  said,  "That  is  a  fine 
skin ;  where  did  you  get  it? " 

11 1  got  it  from  the  dancing  man  and  his  wife," 
replied  the  hunter. 

"  Sell  it  to  me,"  said  the  stranger,  "  and  I  will 
give  you  my  belt  in  exchange." 

11 1  will  not  have  your  belt,"  said  the  hunter. 

"  Sell  it  to  me,  and  I  will  give  you  my  bow," 
said  the  stranger. 

"  I  will  not  have  your  bow,"  said  the  hunter. 


ioo       THE  RED  INDIAN  FAIRY  BOOK 

"Sell  it  to  me,  and  I  will  give  you  my  Birch 
wigwam,"  said  the  stranger. 

"  But  I  cannot  carry  your  wigwam,"  replied 
the  hunter. 

"  Lift  it  upon  your  head,  and  see,"  said  the 
stranger. 

The  hunter  lifted  the  wigwam,  and  placed  it 
on  his  head,  and  found  it  as  light  as  an  empty 
basket.  So  he  gave  the  stranger  the  Raccoon's 
skin,  and,  carrying  the  wigwam,  went  on  his  way. 

And  when  night  came  he  set  the  wigwam  upon 
a  grassy  ridge  by  the  side  of  a  stream,  and  enter- 
ing he  looked  about.  Every  room  was  hung  with 
fine  blankets  and  rich  furs,  and  furnished  beauti- 
fully. The  hunter  found  one  room  in  which  was 
a  bed  covered  with  a  White  Bear's  skin.  Now 
this  was  a  magic  skin,  but  the  hunter  did  not 
know  it.  As  the  bed  was  soft,  and  he  was  weary, 
he  lay  down  and  went  to  sleep. 

And  when  he  woke  in  the  morning  he  saw  to 
his  wonder  and  delight  that  above  him  hung  all 
sorts  of  good  things  to  eat  —  dried  Venison  and 
Ducks,  strings  of  Indian  Corn,  and  baskets  of  red 
berries  and  Maple  Sugar. 


THE  HUNTER  BECOMES  A  PARTRIDGE     101 

He  stretched  out  his  arms,  and  gave  a  spring 
toward  the  food,  when,  lo !  the  White  Bear's  skin 
melted  away,  for  it  was  only  a  heap  of  snow. 
The  wigwam  was  only  a  Birch  Tree,  and  the 
food  that  hung  above  were  the  early  buds  of  the 
Birch.  The  hunter's  arms  grew  spreading  like 
wings,  his  body  was  covered  with  feathers,  and 
he  flew  up  to  the  Birch  Tree.  And  he  was  no 
longer  the  hunter,  but  Pulowech  the  Partridge. 

And  he  had  been  wintering  under  the  snow,  as 
the  Partridge  does,  and  was  now  come  forth  to 
greet  the  beautiful  Spring  and  the  Summer. 


HOW  PARTRIDGE  BUILT  THE  BIRDS' 
CANOES 

( Passamaquoddy) 

In  ancient  days  Partridge  was  the  canoe-builder 
for  the  other  birds.  And  after  he  had  finished  all 
the  canoes,  he  called  the  birds  together  and  each 
got  into  its  bark  and  paddled  off. 

Oh,  it  was  a  great  sight !  First  of  all  came  the 
Eagle,  in  his  big  shell,  paddling  with  the  ends  of 
his  wings.  Then  came  the  Owl  dipping  his  wings 
in  the  water,  like  the  Eagle.  Then  the  Crane,  the 
Bluebird,  the  Robin,  the  Blackbird,  and  the  Snipe 
went  sailing  proudly  after,  uttering  shrill  cries  or 
whistling  and  singing.  And  last  of  all  came  the 
tiny  Hummingbird  in  a  very  small  canoe;  and 
for  him  good  Partridge  had  made  a  pretty  little 
paddle. 

And  the  Fish- Hawk,  who  lives  on  the  wing, 
skimmed  over  their  heads,  crying  with  amazement, 
as  he  saw  the  proud  little  fleet  of  canoes  put  out 
to  sea. 


THE  BIRDS'  CANOES  103 

"Why,  O  Partridge,"  cried  the  Fish- Hawk, 
"have  you  made  no  canoe  for  yourself?" 

But  Partridge  gave  no  answer,  only  looked 
mysterious,  and  drummed;  and  the  noise  of  his 
drumming  sounded  like  an  Indian  at  work  on  a 
canoe. 

Then  the  birds  sailed  back  to  land,  and  all  cried 
out,  "Why,  O  Partridge,  have  you  made  no  canoe 
for  yourself?" 

But  Partridge  shook  his  head,  and  said  that 
when  he  built  a  canoe  for  himself,  it  should  be  a 
wonder  such  as  no  bird's  eye  had  ever  beheld. 

This  went  on  for  some  time,  until  at  last  every 
bird  knew  that  Partridge  was  making  a  wonder- 
ful canoe  for  himself. 

Now  Partridge  thought,  "If  a  boat  with  two 
ends  sails  two  ways,  why,  then,  a  boat,  that  is 
round,  will  sail  every  way."  So  he  built  a  canoe 
like  a  nest,  perfectly  round.  And  when  it  was 
finished,  he  called  together  all  the  birds  to  watch 
him  put  out  to  sea.  And  as  they  looked  at  the 
round  canoe,  they  all  cried  out:  "What  a  wonder- 
ful boat !  We  were  not  wise  enough  to  think  of 
such  a  thing  1" 


104       THE  RED  INDIAN  FAIRY  BOOK 

Then  Partridge,  swelling  with  pride,  stepped 
into  the  canoe,  and  dipped  his  paddle.  But  the 
boat  made  no  headway  at  all,  only  spun  around 
and  around.  And  the  harder  he  worked,  dipping 
his  paddle,  first  on  one  side  and  then  on  the  other, 
the  faster  spun  the  canoe. 

And  when  the  birds  saw  what  was  happening, 
they  fell  to  laughing,  and  mocking  Partridge.  And 
he  left  his  round  canoe,  and,  flying  inland,  hid 
himself  for  very  shame  under  the  low  bushes. 

And  to  this  day  he  flies  close  to  the  ground, 
and  hides  under  leaves  and  bushes.  And  the  noise 
of  his  drumming  sounds  far  and  near  like  an  In- 
dian making  a  canoe. 


THE  NOISY  CHIPMUNK 

(Yakima) 

Once  there  was  an  Indian  village,  and  in  it 
lived  a  Chipmunk  and  his  grandmother.  He  was 
a  very  noisy  little  Chipmunk,  and  his  grand- 
mother used  to  say :  — 

"My  Grandson,  when  you  are  out  in  the 
woods,  you  must  not  make  so  much  noise,  or 
something  will  find  and  catch  you." 

But  he  did  not  mind  her,  and  every  morning 
he  went  to  the  woods,  and  ran  about  until  he 
found  some  berries.  Then  he  climbed  a  tree,  and 
sat  on  a  limb,  and  while  he  ate  the  berries  he 
made  all  the  noise  he  could. 

In  the  evening  his  grandmother  always  told 
him  stories,  and  once  she  told  him  about  a  Giant 
who  wandered  about  the  woods  chasing  Chip- 
munks and  other  creatures.  He  had  a  bag  full 
of  red-hot  stones,  and  whenever  he  caught  a  small 
animal  he  popped  it  into  the  bag  and  cooked  it. 

"I  do  not  believe  that!  "  said  the  little  Chip- 
munk, "for  I  have  roamed  the  woods  for  two  or 


106        THE  RED  INDIAN  FAIRY  BOOK 

three  years,  and  have  never  heard  nor  seen  the 
Giant." 

"Nevertheless,"  said  his  grandmother,  "if 
you  make  too  much  noise,  the  Giant  will  come 
and  catch  you." 

Well,  one  day  the  little  Chipmunk  went  out 
as  happy  and  mischievous  as  ever.  He  scurried 
along  looking  for  berries,  and  then  he  thought, 
"  I  '11  go  as  far  as  I  can,  for  I  wish  to  see  that 
Giant." 

So  he  went  on  and  on,  till  he  came  to  a  high 
bluff,  and  on  it  he  found  a  quantity  of  berries. 
So  he  sat  on  the  top  of  the  bluff,  and  while  he 
ate,  he  tried  to  make  as  much  noise  as  he  could, 
for  he  thought,  "  Maybe  the  Giant  will  hear  me 
and  come." 

And  the  Giant  did  hear  him  and  come ;  for 
he  lived  under  the  bluff.  He  heard  all  the  noise 
that  the  little  Chipmunk  made,  and  he  came  creep- 
ing quietly,  but  he  was  not  able  to  reach  the 
Chipmunk,  because  the  bluff  was  too  high. 

"Come  down,  little  one,"  said  he,  as  pleasantly 
as  he  could,  "and  I  '11  give  you  a  heap  of  fine 
berries." 


THE   NOISY   CHIPMUNK  107 

But  the  little  Chipmunk  said,  "No!  If  I  do, 
you  will  catch  me  and  make  a  fine  meal  for  your- 
self!  "  So  he  stayed  up  on  the  bluff. 

Well,  it  got  to  be  evening,  and  the  little  Chip- 
munk was  tired  of  waiting  for  the  Giant  to  leave, 
and  tried  to  think  of  a  plan  to  get  away.  So  he 
broke  off  some  branches  from  a  bush,  and  threw 
them  down.  The  Giant  heard  them  fall,  and 
thought  it  was  the  little  Chipmunk,  and  sprang  on 
top  of  them.  But  it  was  not  the  Chipmunk  at  all, 
only  branches  of  bushes,  and  when  he  looked  up 
to  the  top  of  the  bluff,  the  little  scamp  was  gone ! 

Then  the  Giant  ran,  and  he  took  such  long 
strides  that  soon  he  saw  the  little  Chipmunk 
leaping  home  as  fast  as  he  could.  And  the  Giant 
ran  and  ran,  and  just  as  the  little  Chipmunk  was 
about  to  spring  into  his  grandmother's  house, 
the  Giant  overtook  him  and  grabbed  his  back. 
But  the  little  Chipmunk  slipped  away,  and  jumped 
into  the  house.  So  he  was  safe,  and  the  Giant, 
grumbling  with  rage,  had  to  go  home  without  his 
supper. 

That  is  why  Chipmunks  have  white  stripes  on 
their  backs  —  the  marks  of  the  Giant's  fingers. 


THE  WIND-BLOWER 

(Micmac) 

Far  in  the  Northern  Land,  a  great  bird  once  sat 
on  a  rock  at  the  edge  of  the  Sky.  And  whenever 
he  flapped  his  wings,  the  stormy  wind  blew 
across  the  sea,  and  caused  the  billows  to  rise, 
and  roll  to  and  fro. 

Now,  on  the  shore,  not  far  from  the  rock, 
dwelt  a  man  and  his  wife  and  two  sons.  It 
happened  one  year  the  weather  was  so  bad  that 
they  could  not  fish  and  get  food.  The  wind  blew 
terribly  night  and  day,  and  the  waves  were  like 
dancing  hills.  Then  one  of  the  sons  walked  along 
the  shore  to  see  if  the  tide  had  cast  up  any  fish. 
But  there  were  none. 

He  wandered  on  and  on,  and  the  farther  he 
went  the  worse  the  wind  blew.  At  last  he  beheld 
a  high  and  great  rock,  surrounded  by  water,  and 
on  it  sat  the  Wind  Bird  himself,  flapping  his 
wings. 

Then  the  young  man,  who  was  brave,  waded 
out  to  the  rock,  and  offered  to  carry  the  bird  to 


THE   WIND-BLOWER  109 

the  mainland  where  he  might  rest  in  the  soft 
sand.  The  bird  was  willing,  so  the  young  man 
carried  him  on  his  back,  stepping  from  slippery- 
stone  to  stone,  or  wading  through  pools. 

At  the  last  rock  the  young  man  stumbled  and 
fell,  and  broke  one  of  the  wings  of  the  bird.  He 
laid  the  hurt  creature  upon  the  sand,  and  set  his 
wing.  Then  he  bade  him  keep  quiet  and  not 
move  for  many  days. 

So  the  bird  sat  still,  and  a  calm  fell  upon  the 
sea,  for  there  was  no  wind  in  all  the  North- 
land. The  Indians  in  their  canoes  glided  smoothly 
over  the  glassy  water,  and  no  breeze  blew.  No 
wave  rose,  and  no  billow  appeared.  The  Indians 
caught  Fish  by  the  thousand,  and  gazed  through 
the  clear  water  to  the  bottom  of  the  sea,  and  saw 
the  Eels  twisting  and  wriggling  about.  And  the 
Wind  Bird  sat  still  and  nursed  his  broken  wing. 

But  after  many  days  the  water  slept.  Thick 
slime  grew  on  its  surface.  The  Fish  sickened  and 
died.  The  Indians  could  eat  Fish  no  longer,  and 
no  more  could  they  see  the  Eels  on  the  bottom 
of  the  sea.  They  had  no  food  and  were  starving. 

Then  the  young  man  went  to  the  Wind  Bird 


no       THE  RED  INDIAN  FAIRY  BOOK 

and  begged  him  to  try  his  broken  wing,  and  see  if 
it  was  well.  So  the  bird  gave  it  a  little  flap,  and, 
lo,  a  slight  ripple  passed  over  the  surface  of  the 
sleeping  water.  Then  the  bird  struck  his  two  wings 
lightly  together,  and  straightway  a  wind  moved 
over  the  sea.  The  slime  was  blown  away.  The 
waves  rose  and  tossed,  and  the  Fish  grew  well. 
Then  the  Indians  in  their  canoes  paddled  out  on 
the  water  and  caught  many  Fish.  And  so  they 
were  happy  and  had  plenty  to  eat. 

As  for  the  Wind  Bird,  they  had  him  for  a 
friend,  and  he  blew  smooth  or  stormy  weather, 
just  as  he  willed. 


THE  SILVER  BROOCHES 

[Attributed  to  the  Mohawk) 

Once  in  the  Iroquois  land,  there  was  a  blue  lake 
fed  with  the  rich  streams  from  the  mountains.  The 
grass  grew  green  and  soft  on  its  margin,  and  the  * 
stately  reeds  stood  in  its  shallows.  Water- Lilies 
floated  on  its  surface,  and  the  birds  skimmed  over 
its  waves. 

Here  at  sunset  each  day  came  Gidanoneh  the 
beautiful  Iroquois  maid.  She  walked  on  the  shore 
and  listened  to  the  sweet  strains  of  a  mysterious 
song  that  arose  from  the  water.  Magical  strains 
they  were,  amazing  her  with  their  sweetness. 
And  they  filled  her  sad  heart  with  a  strange  joy. 

For  Gidanoneh  was  sad.  Her  father  was  poor, 
and  had  promised  her  to  an  old  man.  He  was 
rich  and  laid  before  her  door  many  gifts  of  furs 
and  bright  feathers.  But  his  feet  were  too  slow 
for  the  hunt,  and  his  spirit  too  still  for  war.  And 
Gidanoneh  was  young,  and  life  lay  bright  before 
her;  therefore,  she  dreaded  the  hard  work  waiting 
for  her  to  do  in  the  old  man's  lodge.  So  at  sun- 


112        THE  RED  INDIAN  FAIRY  BOOK 

set  she  walked  by  the  lake,  and  wept  with  sorrow. 
Then  the  sweet  strains  of  the  mysterious  song 
arose  from  the  water,  and  comforted  her  heart. 

And  the  sweet  singer  was  Gayewas,  the  Spirit 
of  the  Lake  and  the  Guardian  of  the  Mountain 
Streams.  One  day,  when  floating  on  the  water, 
he  had  seen  the  beautiful  Gidanoneh,  graceful  and 
sad-eyed,  walking  on  the  shore.  Unseen  by  her 
he  had  approached  and  softly  sung  his  magic 
song,  which  had  comforted  her  heart.  So  evening 
after  evening  at  the  sunset  hour,  he  had  sung  to 
the  maid. 

The  days  passed,  and  the  old  man  came  to  take 
Gidanoneh  to  his  lodge.  But  weeping  she  hast- 
ened to  the  lake.  There  on  the  shore  she  found 
lying  in  her  path  two  beautiful  fish.  And,  lo,  around 
them  were  sewn  rows  of  shining  silver  brooches 
that  dazzled  her  eyes  with  their  light. 

Forgetting  her  sorrow  in  wonder  and  delight, 
she  stooped  and,  gathering  the  glistening  brooches, 
fastened  them  upon  her  faded  doeskin  dress.  Then 
she  built  a  fire,  and  was  roasting  and  eating  the 
fish  when  her  father  found  her. 

He  stopped  in  amazement  as  he  looked  at  the 


THE  SILVER  BROOCHES  113 

silver  brooches,  for  he  had  never  seen  such  rich 
ones.  "Surely,"  thought  he,  "an  evil  Spirit  is 
tempting  my  daughter!"  So  in  fear  and  rage  he 
tore  the  brooches  from  her  dress,  and  threw  them 
down  on  the  shore.  Then  he  led  the  weeping  maid 
back  to  his  lodge. 

But  the  fish  she  had  tasted,  had  given  her  a 
thirst  for  the  water  of  the  blue  lake,  that  she  could 
not  resist.  And  heedless  of  her  father's  cries,  she 
ran  from  him,  nor  stopped  until  she  reached  the 
shore. 

Falling  upon  her  knees,  she  touched  her  lips 
to  the  water,  and,  as  she  eagerly  drank,  strong 
arms  were  thrown  about  her.  She  was  drawn  be- 
neath the  waves,  and  carried  downward  to  the 
shining  bottom  of  the  lake.  Then  she  heard  a  voice, 
as  musical  as  the  running  brooks,  calling  her  name. 
"Fear  not,  Gidanoneh,"  said  the  voice;  "fear  not, 
for  I  am  Gayewas,  the  Spirit  of  the  Lake." 

And  beside  her  she  saw  a  warrior  clad  in  glisten- 
ing silver  brooches.  He  gently  led  her  to  a  lodge 
built  of  scarlet  shells,  and  there  she  was  happy 
with  Gayewas. 

As  for  her  father,  he  wandered  the  night  through 


ii4        THE  RED  INDIAN  FAIRY  BOOK 

on  the  shore,  calling  his  daughter.  At  sunrise  the 
waves  parted,  and  from  the  water  came  her  voice, 
and  he  saw  Gidanoneh,  and  by  her  side  was  a 
handsome  glistening  warrior. 

"My  father,"  she  said,  "I  shall  return  no  more 
to  my  land,  for  I  am  the  bride  of  Gayewas,  the 
Spirit  of  the  Lake.  You  will  never  behold  me 
more.   Farewell!  Farewell!" 

And  as  she  finished  speaking,  the  water  slowly 
closed  again,  and  the  sweet  strains  of  the  mys- 
terious song  were  borne  to  the  shore,  as  the  sad 
father  slowly  wended  his  way  to  his  lodge. 


SEPTEMBER  THE  CORN   MONTH 


m 


s 


HOW  INDIAN  CORN  CAME  INTO  THE 
WORLD 

(Chippewa) 

Long,  long  ago,  in  a  beautiful  part  of  this  coun- 
try, there  lived  an  Indian  with  his  wife  and  chil- 
dren. He  was  poor  and  found  it  hard  to  provide 
food  enough  for  his  family.  But  though  needy,  he 
was  kind  and  contented,  and  always  gave  thanks 
to  the  Great  Spirit  for  everything  that  he  received. 


n8       THE  RED   INDIAN  FAIRY  BOOK 

His  eldest  son,  Wunzh,  was  likewise  kind  and 
gentle  and  thankful  of  heart,  and  he  longed  greatly 
to  do  something  for  his  people. 

The  time  came  that  Wunzh  reached  the  age 
when  every  Indian  boy  fasts  so  that  he  may  see 
in  a  vision  the  Spirit  that  is  to  be  his  guide  through 
life.  Wunzh's  father  built  him  a  little  lodge  apart, 
so  that  the  boy  might  rest  there  undisturbed  dur- 
ing his  days  of  fasting.  Then  Wunzh  withdrew 
to  begin  the  solemn  rite. 

On  the  first  day  he  walked  alone  in  the  woods 
looking  at  the  flowers  and  plants,  and  filling  his 
mind  with  the  beautiful  images  of  growing  things, 
so  that  he  might  see  them  in  his  night-dreams. 
He  saw  how  the  flowers  and  herbs  and  berries 
grew,  and  he  knew  that  some  were  good  for  food, 
and  that  others  healed  wounds  and  cured  sickness. 
And  his  heart  was  filled  with  even  a  greater  long- 
ing to  do  something  for  his  family  and  his  tribe. 

11  Truly,"  thought  he,  "  the  Great  Spirit  made 
all  things.  To  Him  we  owe  our  lives.  But  could 
He  not  make  it  easier  for  us  to  get  our  food  than 
by  hunting  and  catching  fish  ?  I  must  try  to  find 
this  out  in  my  vision." 


INDIAN   CORN  119 

So  Wunzh  returned  to  his  lodge  and  fasted  and 
slept.  On  the  third  day  he  became  weak  and  faint. 
Soon  he  saw  in  a  vision  a  young  brave  coming 
down  from  the  sky  and  approaching  the  lodge. 
He  was  clad  in  rich  garments  of  green  and  yellow. 
On  his  head  was  a  tuft  of  nodding  green  plumes, 
and  all  his  motions  were  graceful  and  swaying. 

"  I  am  sent  to  you,  O  Wunzh,"  said  the  Sky 
stranger,  "by  that  Great  Spirit  who  made  all 
things  in  Sky  and  Earth.  He  has  seen  your  fast- 
ing, and  knows  how  you  wish  to  do  good  to  your 
people,  and  that  you  do  not  seek  for  strength  in 
war  nor  for  the  praise  of  warriors.  I  am  sent  to 
tell  you  how  you  may  do  good  to  your  kindred. 
Arise  and  wrestle  with  me,  for  only  by  overcom- 
ing me  may  you  learn  the  secret." 

Wunzh,  though  he  was  weak  from  fasting,  felt 
courage  grow  in  his  heart,  and  he  arose  and 
wrestled  with  the  stranger.  But  soon  he  became 
weaker  and  exhausted,  and  the  stranger,  seeing 
this,  smiled  gently  on  him,  and  said,  "  My  friend, 
this  is  enough  for  once,  I  will  come  again  to- 
morrow." And  he  vanished  as  suddenly  as  he 
had  appeared. 


120       THE  RED   INDIAN   FAIRY   BOOK 

The  next  day  the  stranger  came  again,  and 
Wunzh  felt  himself  weaker  than  before ;  never- 
theless, he  rose  and  wrestled  bravely.  Then  the 
stranger  spoke  a  second  time.  "My  friend,"  he 
said,  "  have  courage.  To-morrow  will  be  your 
last  trial."  And  he  disappeared  from  Wunzh's 
sight. 

On  the  third  day  the  stranger  came  as  before, 
and  the  struggle  was  renewed.  And  Wunzh, 
though  fainter  in  body,  grew  strong  in  mind  and 
will,  and  he  determined  to  win  or  perish  in  the 
attempt.  He  exerted  all  his  powers,  and,  lo !  in  a 
while,  he  prevailed,  and  overcame  the  stranger. 

"O  Wunzh,  my  friend,"  said  the  conquered 
one,  "you  have  wrestled  manfully.  You  have  met 
your  trial  well.  To-morrow  I  shall  come  once 
more,  and  you  must  wrestle  with  me  for  the  last 
time.  You  will  prevail.  Do  you  then  strip  off  my 
garments,  throw  me  down,  clean  the  ground  of 
roots  and  weeds,  and  bury  me  in  that  spot.  When 
you  have  done  so,  leave  my  body  in  the  ground. 
Come  often  to  the  place,  and  see  whether  I  have 
come  to  life. 

"  But  be  careful  not  to  let  weeds  or  grass  grow 


INDIAN  CORN  121 

on  my  grave.  If  you  do  all  this  well,  you  will  soon 
discover  how  to  benefit  your  fellow  creatures." 
Having  said  this,  the  stranger  disappeared. 

In  the  morning  Wunzh's  father  came  to  him 
with  food.  "  My  Son,"  he  said,  "you  have  fasted 
long.  It  is  seven  days  since  you  have  tasted  food, 
and  you  must  not  sacrifice  your  life.  The  Master 
of  Life  does  not  require  that." 

"My  Father,"  replied  the  boy,  "wait  until  the 
Sun  goes  down  to-morrow.  For  a  certain  reason 
I  wish  to  fast  until  that  hour." 

"Very  well,"  said  the  old  man,  "I  will  wait 
until  the  time  arrives  when  you  feel  inclined  to 
eat."  And  he  went  away. 

The  next  day,  at  the  usual  hour,  the  Sky 
stranger  came  again.  And,  though  Wunzh  had 
fasted  seven  days,  he  felt  a  new  power  arise 
within  him.  He  grasped  the  stranger  with  super- 
human strength,  and  threw  him  down.  He  took 
from  him  his  beautiful  garments,  and,  finding  him 
dead,  buried  him  in  the  softened  earth,  and  did 
all  else  as  he  had  been  directed. 

He  then  returned  to  his  father's  lodge,  and 
partook  sparingly  of  food.   There  he  abode  for 


122        THE  RED  INDIAN  FAIRY  BOOK 

some  time.  But  he  never  forgot  the  grave  of  his 
friend.  Daily  he  visited  it,  and  pulled  up  the 
weeds  and  grass,  and  kept  the  ground  soft  and 
moist.  Very  soon,  to  his  great  wonder,  he  saw  the 
tops  of  green  plumes  coming  through  the  ground. 

Weeks  passed  by,  the  Summer  was  drawing  to 
a  close.  One  day  Wunzh  asked  his  father  to 
follow  him.  He  led  him  to  a  distant  meadow. 
There,  in  the  place  where  the  stranger  had  been 
buried,  stood  a  tall  and  graceful  Plant,  with  bright- 
coloured,  silken  hair,  and  crowned  by  nodding 
green  plumes.  Its  stalk  was  covered  with  waving 
leaves,  and  there  grew  from  its  sides  clusters  of 
milk-filled  Ears  of  Corn,  golden  and  sweet,  each 
ear  closely  wrapped  in  its  green  husks. 

14  It  is  my  friend !  "  shouted  the  boy  joyously ; 
"it  is  Mondawmin,  the  Indian  Corn!  We  need 
no  longer  depend  on  hunting,  so  long  as  this  gift 
is  planted  and  cared  for.  The  Great  Spirit  has 
heard  my  voice  and  has  sent  us  this  food." 

Then  the  whole  family  feasted  on  the  ears  of 
Corn  and  thanked  the  Great  Spirit  who  gave  it. 
And,  so  say  the  Chippewa,  Indian  Corn  came 
into  the  world. 


THE   SPIRIT   OF   THE    CORN 

[Iroquois) 

There  was  a  time,  says  the  Iroquois  Grand- 
mother, when  it  was  not  needful  to  plant  the  Corn 
seed  nor  to  hoe  the  fields,  for  the  Corn  sprang  up 
of  itself,  and  filled  the  broad  meadows.  Its  stalks 
grew  strong  and  tall,  and  were  covered  with  leaves 
like  waving  banners,  and  filled  with  ears  of  pearly 
grain  wrapped  in  silken  green  husks. 

In  those  days  Onatah,  the  Spirit  of  the  Corn, 
walked  upon  the  earth.  The  Sun  lovingly  touched 
her  dusky  face  with  the  blush  of  the  morning,  and 
her  eyes  grew  soft  as  the  gleam  of  the  Stars  on 
dark  streams.  Her  night-black  hair  was  spread 
before  the  breeze  like  a  wind-driven  cloud. 

As  she  walked  through  the  fields,  the  Corn,  the 
Indian  Maize,  sprang  up  of  itself  from  the  Earth, 
and  filled  the  air  with  its  fringed  tassels  and  whis- 
pering leaves.  With  Onatah  walked  her  two  sis- 
ters, the  Spirits  of  the  Squash  and  the  Bean.  As 
they  passed  by,  Squash  vines  and  Bean  plants 
grew  from  the  Corn  hills. 


124       THE  RED  INDIAN  FAIRY  BOOK 

One  day  Onatah  wandered  away  alone  in  search 
of  early  dew.  Then  the  Evil  One  of  the  Earth, 
Hahgwehdaetgah,  followed  swiftly  after.  He 
grasped  her  by  the  hair  and  dragged  her  beneath 
the  ground  down  to  his  gloomy  cave.  Then,  send- 
ing out  his  fire-breathing  monsters,  he  blighted 
Onatah' s  grain.  And  when  her  sisters,  the  Spirits 
of  the  Squash  and  the  Bean,  saw  the  flame-mon- 
sters raging  through  the  fields,  they  flew  far  away 
in  terror.  As  for  poor  Onatah,  she  lay  a  trembling 
captive  in  the  dark  prison-cave  of  the  Evil  One. 
She  mourned  the  blight  of  her  cornfields,  and  sor- 
rowed over  her  runaway  sisters. 

"  O  warm,  bright  Sun !  "  she  cried,  "  if  I  may 
walk  once  more  upon  the  Earth,  never  again  will 
I  leave  my  Corn !  " 

And  the  little  birds  of  the  air  heard  her  cry,  and, 
winging  their  way  upward,  they  carried  her  vow 
and  gave  it  to  the  Sun  as  he  wandered  through 
the  blue  heavens. 

The  Sun,  who  loved  Onatah,  sent  out  many 
searching  beams  of  light.  They  pierced  through 
the  damp  ground,  and  entering  the  prison-cave, 
guided  her  back  again  to  her  fields. 


THE   SPIRIT   OF  THE   CORN  125 

And  ever  after  that  she  watched  her  fields  alone, 
for  no  more  did  her  sisters,  the  Spirits  of  the 
Squash  and  Bean,  watch  with  her.  If  her  fields 
thirsted,  no  longer  could  she  seek  the  early  dew. 
If  the  flame-monsters  burned  her  Corn,  she  could 
not  search  the  Skies  for  cooling  winds.  And  when 
the  great  rains  fell  and  injured  her  harvest,  her 
voice  grew  so  faint  that  the  friendly  Sun  could 
not  hear  it. 

But  ever  Onatah  tenderly  watched  her  fields 
and  the  little  birds  of  the  air  flocked  to  her  service. 
They  followed  her  through  the  rows  of  Corn,  and 
made  war  on  the  tiny  enemies  that  gnawed  at  the 
roots  of  the  grain. 

And  at  harvest-time  the  grateful  Onatah  scat- 
tered the  first-gathered  Corn  over  her  broad  lands. 
And  the  little  birds,  fluttering  and  singing,  joy- 
fully partook  of  the  feast  spread  for  them  on  the 
meadow-ground. 


THE  LITTLE  CORN-BRINGER 

(Hop) 

A  long  time  ago  in  an  Indian  village  there  was 
nothing  to  eat  because  it  did  not  rain  for  five 
years.  The  first  year  the  Corn  grew  large,  but 
just  as  the  ears  began  to  ripen,  the  Frost  came 
and  killed  them.  The  next  year  the  ears  were 
just  forming,  when  the  Frost  came  and  blighted 
them.  The  third  year,  the  Frost  killed  the  stalks 
before  the  ears  were  formed.  It  was  the  same  the 
fourth  year.  The  people  by  this  time  had  eaten  all 
the  Corn  they  had  stored  away,  and  some  of  them 
moved  to  another  part  of  the  country.  But  those 
who  remained  planted  Corn  the  fifth  year,  and 
the  Drought  withered  the  plants  soon  after  they 
came  out  of  the  ground. 

Then  all  the  people  packed  up  their  goods,  and 
moved  away;  except  two  little  children,  a  boy 
and  his  sister.  They  stayed  in  the  village,  and 
played  together. 

Well,  the  next  day  after  the  people  had  left, 


THE  LITTLE   CORN-BRINGER  127 

the  boy  made  his  sister  a  tiny  bird  cut  from  a 
Sunflower  stalk.  While  her  brother  was  away 
hunting,  she  threw  the  little  bird  in  the  air,  and, 
lo,  it  became  a  lovely  Hummingbird,  shining  like 
a  jewel,  and  flew  away.  When  the  boy  came 
back,  she  told  him  how  the  bird  had  become 
alive,  and  he  was  very  much  surprised. 

The  next  morning,  when  the  children  woke 
up,  the  Hummingbird  flew  in  at  the  door,  and 
crept  into  a  hole  in  the  wall.  The  boy  put  his 
hand  into  the  hole,  and  the  bird  was  gone !  But 
he  found  a  little  Corn  ear.  The  children  were  very 
glad,  for  they  were  hungry,  so  they  broke  the  ear 
in  two,  and  roasted  and  ate  it.  Soon  the  Hum- 
mingbird came  out  of  the  opening,  and  flew  away 
again. 

The  next  day  it  returned,  and  entered  the 
hole,  and  the  boy  put  in  his  hand  and  found  a 
larger  Corn  ear,  and  the  Hummingbird  came  out 
and  flew  off.  So  it  happened  for  three  more  days ; 
the  Hummingbird  each  time  bringing  a  larger  ear. 
On  the  fifth  day  it  came  back,  but  did  not  bring 
any  Corn  with  it.  When  the  boy  put  his  hand 
into  the  hole,  he  pulled  out  the  little  bird,  and  it 


128       THE  RED  INDIAN  FAIRY  BOOK 

was  no  longer  alive,  and  was  only  a  piece  of  Sun- 
flower stalk ! 

Well,  he  took  it  in  his  hand,  and  said,  "  Little 
Bird,  go  and  seek  our  father  and  mother,  and 
bring  us  something  to  eat."  But  the  bird  did  not 
move.  Then  the  boy  asked  his  sister  how  she 
had  made  it  fly. 

"This  is  the  way  I  did  it,"  said  she.  And  she 
took  the  Sunflower-stalk  bird  in  her  hand,  and 
throwing  it  into  the  air,  it  became  a  Humming- 
bird again,  and  flew  off. 

It  flew,  and  it  flew,  until  it  came  to  a  Cactus 
plant  on  which  was  a  single  large  red  blossom. 
It  pulled  up  the  Cactus,  and  under  its  roots  was 
a  hole.  Down  into  this  the  bird  hopped,  and 
found  itself  in  a  large  kiva  where  grass  and  green 
herbs  were  growing.  It  passed  through  an  open- 
ing into  another  kiva  filled  with  Corn,  white,  blue, 
yellow,  and  red.  There  were  also  in  this  kiva 
Robins,  Bluebirds,  Wrens,  Blackbirds,  and  all  other 
kinds  of  birds.  They  were  flying  about  the  head 
of  a  Magician  who  sat  there.  He  had  put  an  evil 
spell  upon  the  Earth  so  that  the  Frost  and 
Drought  should  kill  the  Corn. 


THE  LITTLE  CORN-BRINGER  129 

The  little  Hummingbird  lighted  on  the  Ma- 
gician's arm,  and  begged  him  to  take  his  spell 
off  the  Earth,  and  save  the  hungry  children. 

Then  the  Magician  was  sorry  for  the  children, 
and  promised  the  bird  that  he  would  do  what 
he  could.  He  gave  it  a  large  roasting  Corn  ear, 
and  sent  it  away.  It  flew  back  with  the  Corn  to 
the  village. 

The  boy  found  the  Corn  ear  in  the  hole,  and 
he  said:  "O  little  Bird,  thank  you!  Thank  you! 
You  have  brought  us  something  to  eat  again, 
and  because  of  your  goodness  we  are  still  alive. 
Go  now  and  feed  our  parents." 

So  the  little  Hummingbird  went  away,  and 
hunted  over  the  plain  for  the  father  and  mother.  It 
found  them  at  last,  thin  and  dying  of  hunger,  and 
brought  them  large  roasting  ears  from  the  kiva. 

Meanwhile  the  Magician  took  the  evil  spell  off 
the  Earth,  and  the  warm  rain  began  to  fall.  The 
Corn  seeds  sprouted  in  the  fields,  and  pushed 
their  green  blades  above  the  ground.  Soon  they 
became  tall  and  stately  plants,  with  leaves  rus- 
tling in  the  wind.  From  their  sides  grew  many 
large  ears  of  Corn  with  their  green  silken  tassels. 


130       THE  RED  INDIAN  FAIRY  BOOK 

Then  the  father  and  mother,  seeing  the  rain, 
came  back  to  the  village.  But  the  little  Hum- 
mingbird flew  away  and  was  never  seen  again. 
As  for  the  boy  and  girl,  they  grew  up,  and  were 
great  Chiefs  of  their  tribe ;  and  they  were  never 
hungry  again. 


OCTOBER  THE  MONTH  OF  NUTS  AND 
WITCHES 


THE  NUTS  OF  JONISGYONT 

(Iroquois} 

Listen  to  the  Iroquois  Grandmother.  This  is  a 
tale  of  Jonisgyont,  the  little  Squirrel,  and  how  he 
got  wings. 

In  the  Moon  of  the  Falling  Nuts,  when  the 
forest  flames  with  crimson  and  gold,  and  the  birds 
preen  their  wings  to  fly  to  the  South,  Jonisgyont 
ran  chattering  up  and  down  the  trees  gathering 
brown  nuts  for  his  Winter  food. 


134       THE  RED  INDIAN   FAIRY   BOOK 

Day  after  day  he  gathered  the  nuts,  and  carried 
them  to  a  Pine  Wood,  where  he  hid  them  in  a 
hollow  Pine  Tree.  And  when  he  saw  that  his  store- 
house was  full,  he  gave  little  barks  of  delight,  and 
went  leaping  from  branch  to  branch.  Then  he 
hurried  away  to  the  nut  trees  to  play  and  frisk  in 
the  fallen  leaves. 

Poor  little  Jonisgyont!  When  he  came  back  to 
the  Pine  Woods,  he  found  his  storehouse  empty, 
for  all  his  nuts  were  gone !  Up  and  down  the  tree 
he  ran,  stamping  his  tiny  feet  and  scolding  as  he 
peeped  into  every  small  hole,  but  he  could  not 
find  his  nuts.  Then  he  called  to  his  neighbours, 
the  forest  Woodchuck  and  the  green  Bullfrog. 

The  Woodchuck  came  creeping  out  of  his  bur- 
row, at  the  foot  of  the  rock  near  the  Pine,  and  sat 
up  by  his  door.  And  the  Frog  came  jumping  from 
the  swamp  down  by  the  river. 

"Poor  Jonisgyont!"  cried  the  Woodchuck, 
stroking  his  grizzly  whiskers.  "Who  has  been 
stealing  all  your  nuts?  Surely  he  is  a  rascal  and 
should  be  well  punished!" 

"I  wonder  who  has  done  this!"  croaked  the 
Frog,  puffing  out  his  sides.  "He  is  very  cruel  to 


THE  NUTS  OF  JONISGYONT  135 

take  all  your  hard-earned  food!"  And  tears 
dropped  from  the  Frog's  bulging  eyes. 

But  little  Jonisgyont  listened  in  silence,  for  he 
knew  too  well  that  they  were  his  only  neighbours 
who  liked  nuts. 

Now,  while  the  Woodchuck  and  the  Frog  were 
talking,  and  trying  with  indignant  words  to  com- 
fort Jonisgyont,  Nukdago,  the  Chief  of  All  Squir- 
rels, passed  that  way,  and  heard  what  they  said. 

11  Something  is  wrong  here,"  he  thought  to  him- 
self, "and  I  must  see  that  Jonisgyont  does  not 
lose  all  his  Winter  food." 

Then  Nukdago,  the  Chief,  ran  back  to  the  Coun- 
cil House  beneath  the  great  forest  Oak. 

And  when  midnight  was  come,  and  the  Moon 
shone  bright,  Nukdago  returned  to  the  Pine  Tree 
and  stood  in  its  shadows.  Soon  the  Woodchuck 
came  softly  from  his  burrow,  and  began  to  dig  in 
the  ground  near  the  tree.  And  he  dug  so  fast  and 
furiously,  that  the  dirt  flew  out  behind  him  like  a 
black  cloud. 

"This  is  very  strange,"  thought  Nukdago,  "for 
Woodchuck  finished  digging  his  burrow  many 
Moons  ago." 


136       THE  RED  INDIAN  FAIRY  BOOK 

Deeper  and  deeper  the  Woodchuck  dug,  until 
he  had  made  a  large  hole.  Then  he  disappeared 
into  his  burrow.  Soon  he  returned  with  his  cheeks 
puffed  out,  like  a  bag  full  of  wind.  And  as  he 
came  creeping  along,  he  looked  behind  him  as  if 
he  feared  some  one  might  see  him.  Then  one  by 
one  he  dropped  fat  Hickory  nuts  from  his  cheeks 
into  the  hole  he  had  dug. 

And  all  night  long  he  carried  nuts  from  the 
burrow  to  the  hole.  And  when  the  Sun  began  to 
shine,  the  wily  one  covered  the  hole  with  grass. 

"  Too  many  nuts,  too  far  from  the  nut  trees, 
for  lazy  Woodchuck  to  gather!  "  thought  Nuk- 
dago,  the  Chief.  "  I  will  return  again  to-night  and 
watch."  And  he  ran  back  to  the  Council  House, 
beneath  the  great  Oak. 

So  when  midnight  was  come  again,  Nukdago 
returned,  and  hid  in  the  shadows  under  the  Pine 
Tree.  Soon  the  Moon  appeared,  and  the  green 
Bullfrog  came  jumping  from  the  swamp  down  by 
the  river.  He  hid  behind  a  moss-grown  stone 
near  the  tree,  and  his  bright  eyes  blinked  with 
cunning  as  if  he  feared  some  one  might  see  him. 
Then  he  came  hopping  slowly  from  behind  the 


THE  NUTS  OF  JONISGYONT  137 

stone,  with  his  throat  puffed  out  like  a  bag  full  of 
wind. 

He  hopped  to  the  swamp,  and  dropped  two 
Hickory  nuts  out  of  his  throat,  and  pushed  them 
under  the  moss.  And  all  night  long  he  carried 
nuts  from  the  stone  to  the  swamp. 

"Too  many  nuts,  too  far  from  the  nut  trees,  for 
lazy  Bullfrog  to  gather !  "  thought  Nukdago.  "To- 
morrow I  must  see  justice  done!"  And  he  ran 
back  to  the  Council  House  beneath  the  great 
Oak. 

And  when  the  morning  was  come  the  wise 
Nukdago  called  together  all  the  Big  Chiefs  of 
the  forest  animals.  And  when  they  were  seated 
around  the  Council  Fire,  Nukdago  sent  Jon- 
isgyont  to  summon  the  Woodchuck  and  the 
Frog. 

But  soon  the  little  Squirrel  came  back  without 
them,  for  the  Frog  had  jumped  under  the  moss- 
grown  stone,  and  the  Woodchuck  had  hidden  in 
his  burrow. 

Then  the  wise  Nukdago  hastened  to  the  Pine 
Tree,  and  told  some  of  his  strongest  animals  to 
catch  the  thieves.  Soon  they  dragged  the  trem- 


138       THE   RED   INDIAN   FAIRY   BOOK 

bling  Frog  and  the  shamefaced  Woodchuck  from 
their  hiding-places.  Nukdago  then  led  them  to 
the  Council  House,  and  placed  them  before  the 
Big  Chiefs.  And  the  Woodchuck  sat  there  strok- 
ing his  grizzly  whiskers,  while  the  Frog  puffed 
out  his  sides  with  rage. 

Then  said  Nukdago  to  the  Big  Chiefs:  "See 
these  two  bad  ones  ?  They  are  thieves !  They 
have  robbed  little  Jonisgyont  of  all  his  Winter 
store."  And  Nukdago  told  what  he  had  seen. 

The  Big  Chiefs,  when  they  heard  this,  sent 
messengers  to  the  Pine  Tree,  and  they  found  the 
nuts  just  as  Nukdago  had  said.  Then  they  made 
Nukdago  the  judge,  to  punish  the  thieves. 

So  the  wise  Nukdago  said  to  the  Frog:  "You 
belong  to  a  tribe  that  has  always  been  able  to  get 
its  food  without  work.  You  sit  in  the  Sun,  and 
stick  out  your  long  lapping  tongue,  and  catch  the 
Flies  and  Bugs  that  pass  by  your  door.  But  poor 
little  Jonisgyont  must  work  hard  and  long  to 
gather  his  food  for  Winter.  You  sleep  all  through 
the  cold  Moons,  and  need  no  food  then.  But  little 
Jonisgyont  stays  awake,  and  must  have  food  to 
eat  so  that  he  may  keep  alive. 


THE  NUTS  OF  JONISGYONT  139 

"  You  have  not  only  stolen,  but  you  have  been 
selfish.  Your  punishment  shall  be  to  lose  most 
of  your  teeth,  so  that  you  can  never  eat  nuts 
again.  Go  back,  now,  to  your  swamp  in  dis- 
grace." 

And  as  the  Frog  hopped  from  the  Council 
House,  one  by  one  most  of  his  teeth  fell  from  his 
mouth. 

"And  as  for  you,  Woodchuck,"  said  Nukdago, 
"you  shall  not  lose  your  teeth,  but  your  punish- 
ment shall  be  a  just  one.  You,  too,  sleep  through 
the  Winter,  and  need  no  food  then.  In  Summer- 
time Sweet  Clover,  rich  grains,  and  berries  grow 
for  you ;  and  birds  and  fish  are  your  food. 

11  You  shall  not  be  deprived  of  green-growing 
things,  but  no  longer  shall  you  be  able  to  eat 
birds  and  fish.  Go  back,  now,  in  disgrace  to  your 
burrow,  and  stay  there  until  Spring  paints  your 
shadow  on  the  snow." 

And  as  the  Woodchuck  left  the  Council  House 
in  shame,  he  lost  his  appetite  for  birds  and  fish. 

Then  the  wise  Nukdago,  turning  to  Jonisgyont, 
said,  "  Little  Squirrel,  if  you  had  been  more 
watchful,  and  if  you  had  not  run  away  to  play  in 


140       THE  RED  INDIAN  FAIRY  BOOK 

the  fallen  leaves,  you  might  have  guarded  your 
storehouse. 

11  Yet  I  will  help  you.  From  now  on  your  eyes 
shall  be  bigger  and  rounder,  so  that  you  may  see 
on  all  sides  of  you.  Webby  wings  shall  grow  on 
your  legs,  so  that  you  may  fly  from  tree  to  tree, 
and  reach  your  storehouse  quickly,  when  thieves 
are  near.  But  I  warn  you  to  hide  from  the  Sun, 
and  work  in  the  shadows." 

And  as  the  happy  little  Jonisgyont  left  the 
Council  House,  his  eyes  became  bigger  and 
rounder,  and  webbed  skin  grew  on  each  of  his 
sides  from  leg  to  leg,  to  serve  as  wings  when  he 
spread  out  his  feet  and  tail. 

And  as  the  little  one  flew  from  tree  to  tree 
he  gave  many  shrill  cries  of  joy,  until  he  reached 
his  storehouse,  and  there  he  found  all  his  nuts 
again. 

And  ever  since  then  Flying  Squirrels  have 
lived  in  the  woods,  and  Frogs  have  had  only  a 
few  teeth,  while  Woodchucks  have  lost  their  ap- 
petites for  birds  and  fish. 

And  when  an  Iroquois  child  loses  his  first 
tooth,   he  carries  it   to  a  swamp,  where   Bull- 


THE  NUTS  OF  JONISGYONT  141 

frogs  are  croaking,  and  he  throws  it  away  and 
calls :  — 

11  Froggy  !  Froggy  !  my  tooth  is  there! 
Give  me  another  as  strong  as  a  Bear  ! " 

And  when  the  Sun  paints  the  forest  Wood- 
chuck's  shadow  on  the  snow,  the  Indian  boys  say, 
"The  Spring  is  near! " 


LITTLE  OWL  BOY 

(Arapaho) 

Long  ago,  out  on  the  wide  prairie,  there  was  an 
Indian  camp,  and  on  the  edge  of  the  camp  was  a 
tepee,  in  which  lived  a  brave  with  his  wife  and 
only  boy.  Now  the  boy  was  saucy  and  bad,  and 
used  to  shout  at  his  mother  and  refuse  to  gather 
wood  and  carry  water  from  the  spring.  His  mother 
scolded  and  entreated,  but  all  to  no  purpose,  for 
the  boy  was  saucier  than  before. 

One  night,  when  every  one  in  the  camp  was 
asleep,  the  bad  boy  began  to  shout,  "Hi!  Hi! 
Ho!  Ho!" 

"If  you  do  not  stop  that,"  said  his  mother,  "I 
will  throw  you  out  to  Big  Owl  Owner-of-Bag, 
who  hunts  all  night  for  naughty  boys."  But  the 
boy  only  yelled  louder. 

"All  right!"  said  his  mother.  "Big  Owl,  here 
is  this  foolish  boy!"  And  with  that  she  picked 
him  up,  and  threw  him  out  of  the  tepee  into  the 
dark,  and  pulled  down  the  curtain  before  the  door. 

And  who  should  be  standing  outside  but  Big 


LITTLE   (DWL  BOY  143 

Owl,  with  his  bag  wide  open,  and  the  boy's  mother 
did  not  know  it !  The  boy  gave  one  yell,  and  fell 
into  the  bag ;  and  then  Big  Owl  quickly  gave  him 
a  lump  of  roast  tongue  to  keep  him  quiet.  And 
shutting  the  mouth  of  the  bag,  Big  Owl  put  the 
boy  on  his  back,  and  flew  away. 

Well,  the  mother  listened  and  listened,  and 
when  she  could  not  hear  the  boy  cry  any  more, 
she  said  to  her  husband,  who  was  lying  upon  the 
bed:  "You  never  try  to  make  him  stop,  though 
he  wakes  every  one  in  the  camp.  For  my  part  I 
have  done  just  right.  This  will  teach  him  a  good 
lesson."  Then  she  went  to  bed,  but  she  could  not 
sleep,  nor  get  the  boy  out  of  her  mind. 

When  daylight  came,  she  hurried  out,  but  did 
not  see  him  anywhere.  Then  she  hastened  through 
the  camp,  from  tepee  to  tepee,  asking,  "  Have  you 
seen  my  boy?"  And  when  all  the  people  said, 
11  No,"  she  went  home  weeping. 

Days  and  weeks  passed  by,  and  the  boy  did 
not  come  back,  so  his  mother  grieved  very  much. 
At  last  she  decided  that  she  would  go  and  search 
for  him  the  world  over.  But  before  she  started, 
she  sat  down  in  her  tepee,  and  made  some  magic 


144       THE  RED  INDIAN  FAIRY  BOOK 

garments.  Day  after  day  she  worked,  stopping 
only  to  bring  in  loads  of  firewood  and  cook  the 
meals. 

First  she  made  two  pairs  of  embroidered  moc- 
casins, trimmed  beautifully  with  Porcupine  quills. 
Then  she  cut  out  and  made  a  pair  of  woman's 
leggings.  After  that  she  sewed  a  shirt  ornamented 
with  scalp  locks;  a  Buffalo  robe  with  coloured 
fringe;  another  robe  with  pictures  of  Eagles  in 
each  corner ;  and  a  shadow  robe  beautiful  to  be- 
hold. And  all  these  were  likewise  decorated  with 
Porcupine  quills  dyed  blue,  green,  and  yellow. 

When  all  were  ready,  she  wrapped  them  in  a 
bundle,  and  said  to  her  husband,  "  Farewell,  I  am 
going  to  find  my  dear  child." 

So  she  started  off  at  a  steady  gait,  and  went  on 
and  on,  over  prairie  and  through  ravine,  sorrow- 
ful and  lonely.  All  at  once  she  heard  a  voice  be- 
hind her,  but  could  see  no  one. 

"Where  are  you  going,  Woman?"  asked  the 
voice. 

"I  am  searching  for  my  dear  child,"  she  re- 
plied. 

"Just  keep  on  and  follow  the  way  your  heart 


LITTLE  OWL  BOY  145 

bids  you  go,"  said  the  voice,  "and  you  will  find 
your  child." 

So  the  woman,  full  of  courage,  hastened  on 
until  evening,  when  she  came  in  sight  of  a  great 
river,  on  the  other  side  of  which  were  high  cliffs. 
When  she  reached  the  river,  she  saw  a  tepee  stand- 
ing by  itself  upon  the  bank.  Then  a  boy,  hav- 
ing wings  like  an  Owl's,  came  running  out  of  the 
tepee. 

When  he  saw  the  woman,  he  shouted:  "Hi! 
Hi!  Ho!  Ho!  I  am  Little  Owl  Boy,  and  there 
comes  my  mother!  Come  in  quickly,  Mother,  be- 
fore Big  Owl  Owner-of-Bag  gets  home.  He  has 
gone  after  Buffalo  meat." 

The  mother,  her  heart  singing  with  joy,  entered 
and  sat  down.  She  looked  around,  and  saw  that 
the  tepee  was  only  a  big  tree,  with  grapevines 
hanging  down  from  its  branches. 

"Dear  Mother,  I  know  what  you  have  come 
for,"  said  the  boy.  "But  you  will  have  a  hard  time 
getting  me  away,  for  Big  Owl  is  very  fierce,  and 
he  may  kill  you.  Lie  down  here  under  this  robe, 
so  that  he  cannot  see  you  when  he  comes." 

Just  then  Big  Owl  began  to  cry  from  the  dis- 


146       THE   RED   INDIAN   FAIRY   BOOK 

tance:  "Little  Owl  Boy!  Little  Owl  Boy!  Hoot! 
Hoot!"  for  he  was  returning  with  some  Buffalo 
meat. 

"Quick,  Mother,  get  under  this  robe,"  cried  the 
boy.    "Don't  you  hear  him  coming?" 

So  the  woman,  with  her  bundle,  crept  under 
the  robe,  and  the  boy  covered  her  over,  and  spread 
out  his  nicely  peeled  arrow-sticks  on  top. 

Then  Big  Owl  Owner-of-Bag  flew  in.  "Hoot! 
Hoot!  my  Grandchild,"  said  he.  "I  think  your 
mother  must  be  here,  for  I  smell  her  footprints." 

"  What  if  she  is  and  what  if  she  is  n't?  "  said  the 
boy. 

"I  want  you  to  take  my  bag,"  said  Big  Owl, 
"and  go  to  the  ravine  and  kill  a  Buffalo  for  me. 
Open  the  bag,  and  he  will  walk  right  in,"  said  Big 
Owl. 

"Very  well,"  said  the  boy;  "but  see  that  you 
do  not  touch  my  arrow-sticks  while  I  am  gone. 
If  you  do,  I  will  kill  you." 

Then  he  flew  away  to  the  ravine,  and  shot  a 
nice  fat  Buffalo,  after  which  he  opened  the  bag, 
and  the  animal  walked  right  in.  He  put  the  bag 
on  his  shoulder,  and  carried  it  home  to  Big  Owl. 


LITTLE  OWL  BOY  147 

"Hoot!  Hoot!  my  Grandchild,"  said  Big  Owl 
again.  "  I  do  think  your  mother  must  surely  be 
here,  for  I  smell  her  body." 

"What  if  she  is  and  what  if  she  isn't?"  said  the 
boy. 

"Well,  this  time  I  want  you  to  take  my  bag," 
said  Big  Owl,  "and  bring  home  five  Buffalo." 

"  Very  well,"  said  the  boy,  "but  see  that  you 
surely  do  not  touch  my  arrow-sticks,  or  I  will 
kill  you." 

And  with  that  he  flew  away  to  the  ravine,  and 
shot  five  nice  fat  Buffalo,  and  brought  them  home 
in  the  bag. 

"  Hoot !  Hoot !  my  Grandchild,"  said  Big  Owl. 
"  I  know  that  your  mother  is  here,  for  I  smell  her 
robes." 

"  What  if  she  is  and  what  if  she  is  n't  ?  "  said  the 
boy. 

"Take  the  bag,"  said  Big  Owl,  "and  bring 
home  ten  Buffalo." 

"Very  well,"  said  the  boy,  "but  see  that  you 
do  not  even  move  an  arrow-stick,  or  I  will  kill 
you." 

And  he  flew  away  to  the  ravine,  and  shot  ten 


148       THE  RED  INDIAN  FAIRY  BOOK 

nice  fat  Buffalo.  This  time,  however,  he  did  not 
let  them  walk  into  the  bag,  but  left  them  lying 
on  the  ground,  and  flew  back  to  the  tepee. 

"  Hoot !  Hoot !  my  Grandchild,"  said  Big  Owl ; 
"where  are  the  Buffalo?" 

"  I  left  them  in  the  ravine,"  said  the  boy,  "and 
I  want  you  to  take  the  bag,  and  fetch  them  home 
before  it  is  too  late." 

So  Big  Owl  took  the  bag  and  flew  hooting  away. 

As  soon  as  he  was  gone,  the  woman  crept  from 
under  the  robe.  Then  she  untied  her  bundle, 
and  took  out  the  two  pairs  of  moccasins.  She 
laid  one  pair  inside  the  tepee,  and  the  other  be- 
fore the  entrance.  After  which,  taking  the  boy  by 
the  hand,  she  stepped  on  the  first  pair,  then  on 
the  second,  and  began  running  away  as  fast  as 
she  could,  the  boy  running  too.  When  she 
reached  the  first  hill,  she  took  the  leggings  from 
her  bundle,  and  laid  them  on  the  ground ;  and  she 
and  the  boy  both  ran  on. 

By  this  time,  Big  Owl  returned  with  the  Buf- 
falo, and,  sitting  on  the  top  of  the  tepee,  called, 
"Little  Owl  Boy!  Little  Owl  Boy !  Hoot!  Hoot!" 
But  no  one  answered. 


LITTLE  OWL  BOY  149 

So  he  flew  down  and  looked  into  the  tepee, 
and  saw  that  the  boy's  mother  had  carried  him 
off.  "  There  is  a  pair  of  magic  moccasins,  and 
here  is  another!"  he  cried.  "Hoot!  Hoot!  the 
boy  and  his  mother  cannot  get  away  from  me  !  " 

But  before  he  left  the  tepee  he  was  forced  to 
walk  around  the  moccasins  and  count  every  Por- 
cupine quill.  After  he  had  finished,  he  had  to  do 
the  same  to  the  moccasins  at  the  entrance.  Then, 
crying,  "  Hoot !  Hoot !  "  he  started  off  at  full 
speed,  although  he  felt  a  little  dizzy. 

When  he  came  to  the  first  hill,  he  saw  the  leg- 
gings lying  there,  and  was  forced  to  stop  and 
walk  round  and  round  them  and  count  all  the 
Porcupine  quills.  Then,  crying,  "  Hoot !  Hoot !  " 
he  started  off  again,  although  he  felt  very  dizzy. 

Well,  the  boy  and  his  mother  saw  him  coming, 
so  she  opened  her  bundle,  and  took  out  the  shirt 
ornamented  with  scalp  locks,  and  laid  it  on  the 
ground.  After  which  they  both  ran  on. 

When  Big  Owl  reached  the  scalp-lock  shirt  he 
was  forced  to  go  round  and  round  it  until  he  had 
counted  all  the  quills,  then  off  he  started,  crying, 
"  Hoot !  Hoot  1 "  though  he  felt  very  sick. 


150       THE  RED  INDIAN  FAIRY  BOOK 

The  boy  and  his  mother  hurried  up  another 
hill,  where  she  laid  down  the  Buffalo  robe  with 
coloured  fringe,  and  then  they  both  went  on. 

When  Big  Owl  reached  the  robe,  he  went 
round  and  round  it,  and  then,  crying  very  faintly, 
"  Hoot !  Hoot !  "  he  flew  slowly  after,  for  he  could 
scarcely  see. 

After  this  the  woman  and  the  boy  stopped  run- 
ning and  walked  along,  and  when  they  came  to  a 
rock,  the  woman  laid  down  the  robe  with  pictures 
of  Eagles  in  the  four  corners,  and  they  both  passed 
on. 

As  for  Big  Owl,  when  he  reached  this  robe  he 
staggered  round  and  round,  and  he  could  no 
longer  cry,  "  Hoot!  Hoot!  "  and  he  could  hardly 
fly,  for  he  was  so  weak. 

Then  the  woman,  last  of  all,  laid  down  the 
shadow  robe  so  beautiful  to  see,  and  she  and  the 
boy  went  and  stood  a  little  way  off. 

Then  Big  Owl  came  fluttering  his  wings  and 
staggering  along.  They  saw  him  begin  to  go 
round  and  round  the  robe,  counting  the  quills, 
until  in  a  little  while  he  was  so  dizzy  and  wild 
that    he    fell    down,   and    burst   into    so   many 


THEY    SAW    IIJ.M    BEGIN    TO    GO    KOUXD    AND    ROUND   THE 
ROBE,  COUNTING  THE   QUILLS 


LITTLE   OWL  BOY  151 

pieces  that  they  could  never  be  gathered  together 
again. 

After  that  the  woman  and  the  boy  hastened  to 
the  camp,  and  when  the  people  saw  them  coming 
they  went  out  to  meet  and  welcome  them.  They 
praised  the  mother  for  being  so  brave,  and  shook 
hands  with  the  boy.  Then  he  lost  his  Owl  wings, 
and  was  always  glad  to  bring  in  the  firewood 
and  carry  water  from  the  spring  for  his  mother. 
And  he  never  again,  in  the  middle  of  the  night, 
cried,  "Hi!   Hi!  Ho!  Ho!" 


THE  CHESTNUT  KETTLE 

[Iroquois) 

This  is  a  tale  of  old  times.  Once  there  lived  two 
brothers,  orphans,  who  loved  each  other  very 
much.  Their  lodge  was  in  a  wide  wilderness,  and 
the  game  was  plentiful.  Each  day  the  elder 
brother  hunted  and  brought  back  Buffalo  meat 
and  venison,  while  the  younger  brother,  who  was 
but  a  lad,  stayed  at  home  and  gathered  wood, 
built  the  fire,  and  cooked  the  supper. 

It  happened  one  evening  that  the  elder  brother 
returned  to  the  lodge  and  brought  plenty  of  game, 
which  he  gave  the  lad  to  cook.  When  the  meal 
was  ready,  the  elder  said,  "  Do  you  eat  your  sup- 
per; I  will  smoke  before  I  eat."  So  the  lad  ate 
his  supper  and  went  to  sleep. 

The  next  morning  when  the  lad  woke  he  found 
that  his  brother  was  gone  to  hunt.  And  he  saw 
that  all  the  meat,  which  had  been  left  in  the  pot 
the  night  before,  was  still  there.  He  wondered 
much  at  this,  but  when  his  brother  returned  bring- 


THE  CHESTNUT  KETTLE  153 

ing  game,  the  lad  said  not  a  word,  and  again 
cooked  the  supper.  His  brother  smoked  and  ate 
nothing,  and  the  lad  went  to  sleep  as  before. 

And  so  it  happened  for  many  nights ;  and  the 
elder  brother  each  day  grew  stronger,  and  more 
handsome.  At  last  the  lad  said  to  himself:  "He 
must  eat  something !  To-night  I  will  watch  and 
see  what  he  does." 

So  when  the  night  was  come,  the  lad  watched 
from  his  bed.  After  a  while  the  elder  brother 
arose  from  smoking,  and,  opening  a  trap-door  in 
the  floor,  began  to  make  strange  motions.  Then 
he  drew  forth  a  small  kettle  from  beneath  the  trap. 
He  scraped  the  bottom  of  it,  poured  in  water, 
and  taking  a  whip,  struck  the  kettle,  saying, 
"Now,  my  kettle,  grow  larger." 

Instantly  the  kettle  began  to  get  bigger,  and 
gave  out  a  sound  like  violent  boiling.  After  a  lit- 
tle time  he  set  it  to  cool,  and  began  to  eat  greed- 
ily from  it.  "Ah!"  thought  the  lad,  "to-morrow 
I  '11  find  out  what  it  is  he  eats."  And  then  he 
went  to  sleep. 

At  daylight  the  elder  brother  set  off  to  hunt, 
and  the  lad   awoke.   He  arose,  and   hastening, 


154       THE  RED  INDIAN  FAIRY  BOOK 

opened  the  trap  door  and  drew  forth  the  small 
kettle.  In  it  lay  half  a  chestnut.  With  a  knife  he 
scraped  the  nut  into  small  bits,  and,  pouring  in 
water,  made  a  porridge.  Then  he  took  the  whip, 
and  commenced  beating  the  kettle  as  his  brother 
had  done,  saying,  "  Now,  my  kettle,  grow  larger." 

Immediately  the  kettle  began  to  get  bigger,  and 
it  kept  on  growing  bigger,  and  the  porridge  in  it 
increased,  giving  out  a  boiling  sound.  To  the  lad's 
surprise  the  kettle  kept  on  growing,  nor  could  he 
stop  it.  At  last  it  was  so  big  that  it  filled  the  room, 
and  he  was  forced  to  climb  on  the  roof  of  the 
lodge,  and  beat  the  porridge  from  thefoutside. : 

While  he  was  doing  this  his  brother  returned 
from  hunting.  When  he  saw  what  the  lad  w 
about  he  gave  a  groan,  and  cried:  "Woe  is  mej! 
The  Magic  Chestnut  is  gone !  Alas !  I  must  die 

Then  he  took  the  whip  from  the  lad,  and  struc 
the  kettle,  saying,  "  Now,  my  kettle,  grow  smaller.'^ 
And  it  grew  smaller  again,  and  he  placed  it  be- 
neath the  trap-door.  After  which  he  lay  down, 
sighing  sorrowfully.  "Alas!  I  must  die!" 

When  morning  came,  the  elder  brother  could 
not  get  up,  he  was  so  weak,  nor  could  he  eat  any- 


THE   CHESTNUT   KETTLE  155 

thing.  Day  after  day  he  grew  weaker,  and  each 
morning  the  lad  would  say:  "Oh,  my  Brother! 
Surely  you  need  not  die !  Just  tell  me  where  the 
Magic  Chestnuts  grow,  and  let  me  fetch  you  some ! " 
But  his  brother  never  answered. 

At  last  one  day,  when  the  lad  was  weeping,  the 
elder  brother  said:  "  Far,  far  away  is  a  deep  and 
wide  river,  which  can  be  crossed  only  by  Fairy 
power.  On  the  other  side  of  the  river  is  a  lodge, 
and  near  the  lodge  is  a  Chestnut  Tree,  from  which 
many  nuts  fall  to  the  ground.  Night  and  day  a 
white  Heron  stands  beneath  the  tree,  looking 
around  on  all  sides.  If  any  one  attempts  to  gather 
the  nuts,  the  Heron  cries  out,  and  twelve  Witch- 
Women  rush  from  the  lodge  and  kill  the  nut- 
gatherer.  So  you  see  there  is  no  chance  for  you 
to  fetch  the  nuts  to  me,  and  I  must  die!" 

But  the  lad  answered,  "I  will  go  and  try  for 
your  sake." 

Then  he  made  a  tiny  Birchbark  canoe,  about 
three  inches  long,  and  put  it  in  his  pouch,  after 
which  he  set  out  on  his  journey.  Day  and  night 
he  walked,  until  at  last  he  came  to  the  deep  and 
wide  river.  He  took  the  canoe  from  his  pouch, 


156       THE  RED  INDIAN  FAIRY  BOOK 

and  pulling  it  at  both  ends,  drew  it  out  until  it 
was  large  and  shapely.  Then  he  placed  it  on  the 
river,  and  entering  the  boat,  paddled  swiftly  across 
the  water. 

He  reached  the  other  bank  in  safety,  and  mak- 
ing the  canoe  small  again,  put  it  in  his  pouch. 
Next  he  sang  a  magic  song,  and  a  Mole  came 
creeping  from  the  ground.  The  little  animal  gave 
him  some  seed  that  the  Heron  loved,  and  bade 
him  be  of  good  cheer,  and  go  toward  the  Witch- 
Women's  lodge. 

He  went  courageously  on,  and  scattered  the 
seeds  before  the  white  Heron.  And  while  the 
bird  was  greedily  devouring  them,  the  lad  gathered 
a  handful  of  nuts  from  the  ground,  and  fled  to- 
ward the  river. 

Meanwhile,  the  Heron  had  eaten  all  the  seeds, 
and  cried  out.  Then  the  twelve  Witch-Women 
came  rushing  from  their  lodge.  They  carried  long 
lines  to  which  were  fastened  iron  hooks.  Howling 
with  rage,  they  ran  after  the  lad  to  the  river. 

But  he  reached  there  first,  and  taking  the  canoe 
from  his  pouch,  made  it  big.  Then  jumping  in,  he 
paddled  swiftly  away  from  the  shore.  The  Witch- 


THE   CHESTNUT   KETTLE  157 

Women  threw  a  line,  and  the  hook  caught  the 
side  of  the  canoe,  but  the  lad  cut  the  line  with  his 
hatchet,  and  paddled  faster  away.  Line  after  line 
they  threw,  but  he  cut  them  with  his  hatchet,  till 
all  the  lines  were  spoiled.  Then,  howling  with 
disappointment,  the  Witch-Women  returned  to 
their  lodge. 

As  for  the  lad,  he  reached  the  other  shore  in 
safety,  and  hastened  home,  fearing  lest  his  brother 
should  die  before  he  could  return.  He  came  to  the 
lodge,  and,  entering  it,  found  his  brother  just 
breathing  his  last. 

Quickly  the  lad  drew  forth  the  kettle,  and  plac- 
ing the  Chestnuts  in  it,  made  some  magic  porridge. 
This  he  gave  to  his  brother,  who  straightway 
opened  his  eyes,  and  arose  well  and  strong. 

After  which  the  lad  told  him  all  his  adventures, 
and  the  elder  said:  "  You  have  done  much  for  me  ! 
And  from  now  on  we  shall  both  be  well  and 
happy." 


THE   UGLY   WILD    BOY 
[ZuHi) 

In  the  days  of  old,  there  lived  with  his  old  grand- 
mother a  frightfully  ugly  wild  boy.  His  face  and 
his  body  were  blue.  His  nose  was  twisted,  and 
scars  of  all  colours  ran  down  each  cheek.  And  on 
his  head  grew  a  bunch  of  things  like  red  peppers. 
Oh  !  he  was  fearfully  ugly  ! 

Well,  one  season  it  had  rained  so  much  that  the 
Pifion  Trees  were  laden  with  nuts,  and  the  Datilas 
full  of  fruit,  while  the  Grey- Grass  and  Red-Top 
were  so  heavy  with  seeds  that  they  bent  as  if  in 
a  breeze. 

The  people  of  the  town  went  up  on  the  mesa 
where  the  nut  trees  and  Datilas,  and  grass  grew, 
but  they  could  not  gather  a  thing,  for  a  huge  old 
Bear  lived  there.  He  killed  some  of  the  people, 
and  chased  the  rest  away. 

One  day  the  ugly  wild  boy  said  to  his  grand- 
mother, "  I  am  going  out  to  gather  Datilas  and 
Pinon  nuts  on  the  mesa." 


THE  UGLY   WILD  BOY  159 

M  Child  !  Child  ! "  cried  his  grandmother.  ■■  Do 
not  go  1  Do  not  by  any  means  go !  You  know 
that  there  is  a  fierce  Bear  on  the  mesa,  who  will 
either  kill  or  hurt  you  dreadfully !  " 

"I  am  not  afraid,"  said  the  boy.  "Wait,  and 
see  what  I  shall  bring  back ! " 

So  he  started  out,  and  followed  the  trail,  and 
climbed  the  crooked  path  up  the  mesa.  When  he 
reached  the  wide  plain  on  top,  he  began  to  pick 
the  sweet  Datila  fruit,  and  eat  it,  and  to  crack  a 
few  Pirion  nuts  between  his  teeth. 

Then  suddenly  out  rushed  the  huge  Bear  from 
the  nearest  thicket,  snarling,  "Wha-a-a-a!  " 

" Don't  kill  me  !  "  shouted  the  boy.  "Friend, 
friend,  don't  bite  me  !  It  will  hurt !  If  you  '11  let 
me  alone,  I  '11  make  a  bargain  with  you." 

"  I  'd  like  to  know  why  I  should  not  bite  you," 
growled  the  Bear.  "  I  '11  tear  you  to  pieces  !  What 
have  you  come  to  my  country  for,  stealing  my 
fruit  and  nuts  and  grass  seed  ?  " 

"  I  came  to  get  something  to  eat,"  said  the  boy ; 
"you  have  plenty." 

"Indeed  I  have  not,"  said  the  Bear;  "I  will  let 
you  pick  nothing.  I  will  tear  you  to  pieces." 


160       THE  RED  INDIAN  FAIRY  BOOK 

"  Don't!  Don't,  and  I  '11  make  a  bargain  with 
you,"  said  the  boy. 

"How  dare  you  talk  of  bargains  with  me!" 
yelled  the  Bear,  cracking  a  small  Pine  Tree  with 
his  paws  and  teeth,  so  great  was  his  rage. 

"These  things  are  not  yours,"  said  the  boy, 
"and  I'll  prove  it." 

"How?"  asked  the  Bear. 

"They  are  mine;  they  are  not  yours!"  cried 
the  boy. 

"They  are  mine,  I  tell  you!  They  are  not 
yours ! "  shouted  the  Bear. 

"  They  are  mine !  "  retorted  the  boy. 

And  so  they  might  have  quarrelled  until  sun- 
set, or  torn  one  another  to  pieces,  if  the  boy  had 
not  said :  — 

"Look  here,  I  '11  make  a  bargain  with  you." 

"  What 's  that?  "  asked  the  Bear. 

"The  one  who  owns  the  things  on  this  mesa 
must  prove  it  by  not  being  frightened  at  anything 
the  other  does,"  said  the  boy. 

"Ha!  Ha!"  said  the  Bear  in  his  big  coarse 
voice.  "That 's  a  good  plan !  I  am  perfectly  will- 
ing to  try  that!" 


THE   UGLY   WILD  BOY  161 

"Very  well,"  said  the  boy;  "one  of  us  must 
hide,  and  then  come  jumping  out  on  the  other 
one  when  he  does  not  expect  it,  and  frighten  him." 

"All  right,  who  shall  hide  first?" 

"Just  as  you  say,"  replied  the  boy. 

"Then  I  '11  hide  first,"  said  the  Bear;  "for  this 
place  belongs  to  me." 

So  he  turned  and  ran  into  the  thicket,  while 
the  boy  went  about  picking  Datilas  and  eating 
them,  and  throwing  the  skins  away. 

By  and  by  the  Bear  came  rushing  out  of  the 
thicket,  snapping  bushes,  and  throwing  them 
around  so  that  it  was  like  a  sandstorm  raging 
through  the  forest. 

"Ha!  Ha!  Ha!  Ha-a-a-a I "  he  roared  as  he 
came  rushing  up  back  of  the  boy.  But  the  boy 
never  stirred  so  much  as  a  leaf,  and  kept  on  chew- 
ing the  Datilas. 

Then  the  Bear  ran  into  the  thicket,  and  came 
out  again  snarling  horribly,  "  Ha!  Ha !  Ha !  Hu  ! 
Hu!  Hu-u-u!"  and  grabbed  the  boy.  But  the 
boy's  heart  never  so  much  as  beat  harder. 

"  By  my  senses,"  cried  the  Bear,  "but  you  are 
a  man !  I  must  give  it  up !  Now,  I  suppose  you 


162       THE  RED   INDIAN  FAIRY  BOOK 

will  try  to  frighten  me.  And  unless  you  can  scare 
me  well,  I  tell  you,  you  must  keep  away  from 
my  Datila  and  Pinon  patch." 

Then  the  boy  turned  and  ran  back  to  his 
grandmother's  house,  singing  as  he  went:  — 

"The  Bear  of  the  Pinon  patch,  frightened  shall  be! 
The  Bear  of  the  Pinon  patch,  frightened  shall  be! " 

"  Oh,  shall  he  !  "  cried  his  grandmother ;  "  I  de- 
clare, I  am  surprised  to  see  you  come  back  alive 
and  well !  " 

11  Hurry  up,  Grandmother,"  said  the  boy,  "and 
paint  me  as  frightfully  as  you  can." 

"All  right,  Grandson,"  said  she,  "I'll  help 
you  !  "  So  she  blackened  the  right  side  of  his  face 
with  soot,  and  painted  the  left  side  with  ashes, 
until  he  looked  like  a  monster.  Then  she  gave  him 
a  stone  axe  that  had  magic  power,  and  said,  "  Take 
this,  Grandson,  and  see  what  you  can  do  with  it." 

The  boy  ran  back  to  the  mesa.  The  Bear  was 
wandering  around  eating  Datilas.  The  boy  sud- 
denly sprang  at  him  yelling,  "He!  He!  He!  He! 
He  !  He  !  To-o-o-h  !  "  and  he  whacked  the  side 
of  a  hollow  Pinon  Tree  with  the  axe. 


THE  UGLY  WILD  BOY  163 

Well,  the  tree  shivered  with  a  thundering 
noise,  and  the  bear  jumped  as  if  he  had  been 
struck  with  flying  splinters.  Then,  seeing  the 
boy,  he  shook  himself,  and  exclaimed,  "What  a 
fool  I  am  to  be  scared  by  a  little  wretch  like  youl " 
Just  then  he  saw  the  boy's  face,  and  he  was  ter- 
ribly frightened. 

Again  the  boy  struck  a  tree  with  the  magic 
axe,  yelling  louder  than  before.  The  Earth  shook, 
and  the  noise  was  so  thunderous  that  the  Bear 
sneezed  from  fright.  The  boy  came  still  nearer, 
and  struck  another  tree  a  tremendous  blow,  and 
the  Earth  thundered  and  trembled  more  violently 
than  before,  and  the  Bear  almost  lost  his  senses 
from  fear.  When  for  the  fourth  time  the  boy 
struck  a  tree  close  to  the  Bear,  the  old  fellow  was 
thrown  to  the  ground  by  the  heavings  of  the 
Earth,  and  the  bellowing  sounds  that  came 
from  it. 

Then  the  Bear  picked  himself  up,  and  ran  away 
as  fast  as  his  legs  could  carry  him.  He  heard  the 
boy  coming  after  him,  and  went  without  stopping 
until  he  reached  the  Zuiii  Mountains. 

"There,"  said  the  boy,   "I'll  chase  the  old 


164       THE  RED  INDIAN  FAIRY  BOOK 

rogue  no  farther.  He  's  been  living  all  this  time 
on  the  mesa,  where  more  nuts  and  fruit  and  grass 
seed  grow  than  a  thousand  Bears  could  eat ;  and 
yet  he  has  never  let  any  one  from  the  town  gather 
a  bit!"  Then  the  boy,  carrying  his  magic  axe, 
returned  to  his  grandmother,  and  told  her  all  that 
had  happened. 

"Go,"  said  she,  "to  the  top  of  the  high  rock 
over  there,  that  looks  down  on  the  town,  and  tell 
the  people  who  wish  to  gather  Datilas  and  Pifion 
nuts,  that  they  need  not  be  afraid  any  more." 

So  the  boy  went  out,  and  climbing  to  the  top 
of  the  rock,  shouted :  — 

"Ye  of  the  Home  of  the  Eagles  !  Any  of  ye 
who  wish  to  gather  Datilas  or  Pifion  nuts,  or 
grass  seed  to  make  bread,  go  ye  to  the  mesa  and 
gather  as  much  as  ye  will,  for  I  have  driven  the 
Bear  away ! " 

Well,  some  of  the  people  believed  what  the  boy 
said,  and  hurried  away  to  the  mesa  to  eat  and 
enjoy  themselves.  But  others  would  not  believe 
it  because  he  was  an  ugly  wild  boy;  so  they  did 
not  go  to  the  mesa,  and  the  rest  of  the  people 
picked  all  the  nuts  and  fruit  and  grass  seed. 


PITCHER  THE  WITCH  AND  THE  BLACK 

CATS 

(Algonquin) 

In  the  days  when  the  great  Magician  Glooskap 
dwelt  in  the  land  of  the  Wabanaki  he  lived  in  a 
magic  lodge  on  a  lonely  island.  His  servant  was 
old  Dame  Bear,  who  kept  his  lodge  and  cooked 
his  food.  There  lived  with  him,  also,  his  younger 
brother,  Martin  the  Fairy,  who  could  change  him- 
self into  baby  or  man,  just  as  he  wished. 

Martin,  with  his  Fairy  power,  made  a  Birch- 
bark  dish,  from  which  he  ate.  Whenever  he  went 
into  the  forest  alone,  he  left  this  dish  in  the  lodge 
so  that  Glooskap,  looking  into  it,  might  see  all 
that  Martin  was  doing,  for  it  was  a  Fairy  dish. 

One  time,  Glooskap  returned  from  a  long  jour- 
ney, and  entered  his  lodge.  The  place  was  empty, 
the  fire  was  out,  and  the  ashes  were  cold.  He 
called  Dame  Bear,  but  she  did  not  answer.  He 
shouted  for  Martin,  but  the  boy  did  not  come. 
Then  he  looked  into  the  Birchbark  dish  and  saw 
a  distant  seashore,  and  he  could  see  Dame  Bear 


166       THE  RED  INDIAN  FAIRY  BOOK 

walking  through  the  sand  with  a  baby  on  her 
back,  who  was  Martin  the  Fairy.  And  all  around 
her  ran  and  leaped  many  Black  Cats. 

Then  Glooskap  knew  that  Dame  Bear  and 
Martin  had  been  stolen  by  the  order  of  Pitcher  the 
Witch,  who  ruled  the  tribe  of  the  Black  Cats. 

So  Glooskap  armed  himself  with  his  mighty 
bow,  and  hastened  after  the  robbers.  He  followed 
their  tracks  to  the  shore  where  he  found  the  Black 
Cats,  with  Dame  Bear  and  Martin,  just  pushing 
off  in  a  canoe. 

Glooskap  called  out  to  Dame  Bear  to  send 
back  to  him  his  Dogs,  so  she  took  from  her  robes 
the  little  Dogs  that  were  no  bigger  than  Mice, 
and  placed  them  on  a  wooden  platter.  This  she 
laid  on  the  water,  and  it  floated  to  land  and 
stopped  at  Glooskap's  feet.  He  took  the  platter  up 
and  placed  the  Dogs  in  his  bosom,  and  as  he  did 
so  the  canoe  of  the  Black  Cats  sailed  rapidly 
away  over  the  sea,  and  disappeared  from  his 
sight. 

Standing  on  the  shore,  Glooskap  began  to  sing 
a  magic  song.  Louder  and  loudej^he  sang,  and  a 
small  Whale  heard  him  and  sw aaBo  land.  Gloos- 


PITCHER   AND  THE  BLACK   CATS      167 

leap  set  his  mighty  foot  upon  her  back,  and  as  he 
did  so  she  sank  beneath  the  water. 

Then  he  sent  her  away  and  sang  another  magic 
song,  and  a  large  and  powerful  Whale  came  swim- 
ming to  land.  Glooskap,  stepping  upon  her  back, 
found  she  bore  him  well.  So  he  bade  her  jour- 
ney on,  and  she  swam  fast  through  the  waves. 

At  last,  as  she  drew  near  another  country,  the 
Clams  hidden  in  the  sand  called  out  bidding  her 
throw  Glooskap  from  her  back,  or  else  soon  she 
would  be  stranded  high  upon  the  land.  But  the 
Whale  did  not  understand  their  language,  and 
she  swam  swiftly  on  until  she  found  herself  high 
and  dry  on  the  shore. 

And  as  Glooskap  stepped  from  her  back,  the 
Whale,  lying  gasping  on  the  sand,  lamented :  — 

1  'Alas!  my  Grandchild! 
If  I  cannot  leave  the  land, 
I  shall  swim  in  the  sea  no  more! " 

And  then  Glooskap  answered  gently :  — 

"Have  no  fear,  Grandmother! 
I  '11  help  you  from  the  land, 
And  you  shall  swim  in  the  sea  once  more! " 


168       THE  RED   INDIAN  FAIRY  BOOK 

And  so  saying,  he  pushed  his  mighty  bow 
against  her  side  and  sent  her  out  into  the  deep 
water.  And  the  Whale,  rejoicing,  went  swimming 
swiftly  away. 

After  this,  Glooskap  set  out  once  more  to  pur- 
sue the  Black  Cats.  He  walked  on  for  a  long 
time,  and  when  darkness  fell  he  came  to  an  old 
wigwam  and,  entering  it,  saw  an  ugly  hag,  in 
ragged  clothes,  sitting  before  a  dying  fire.  She 
begged  him  to  gather  some  firewood,  and  he  did 
so,  and  kindled  the  fire  to  a  blaze.  Then  she 
prayed  him  to  free  her  from  many  little  Imps 
that  were  tormenting  her  body. 

Now  this  hag  was  really  Pitcher  the  Witch, 
and  the  Imps  were  bad  Elves.  And  she  knew 
that  if  Glooskap  tried  to  harm  them,  they  would 
sting  and  kill  him.  But  Glooskap,  standing  be- 
hind her,  began  to  pick  the  Imps  off  her  body, 
and  as  he  did  so,  each  turned  into  a  horrible 
thing, —a  slimy  Toad  or  a  foul  Porcupine.  And 
instead  of  killing  them,  he  laid  them  beneath  a 
wooden  platter  he  found  at  his  feet.  With  his 
magic  power  he  soothed  the  hag,  so  that  she  soon 
fell  asleep ;  then  he  departed. 


PITCHER  AND   THE  BLACK   CATS      169 

And  when  the  morning  was  come,  Pitcher  the 
Witch  awoke  and  found  Glooskap  gone,  and 
the  slimy  Toads  and  Porcupines  swarming  over 
the  floor.  She  rose  in  a  rage,  and  hastened  after 
Glooskap,  determined  to  destroy  him  with  her 
magic  power. 

Now,  Pitcher  could  change  herself  into  any- 
thing she  wished.  She  searched  until  she  found 
Glooskap  by  the  seashore ;  then  she  turned  her- 
self into  a  man.  Approaching  Glooskap,  she  in- 
vited him  to  go  with  her  to  gather  Sea-Gulls'  eggs. 
As  he  was  hungry,  he  consented. 

Getting  into  a  canoe,  they  paddled  off  together, 
going  farther  and  farther  from  land.  After  a  while 
they  came  to  a  lonely  island  and  stepped  out  upon 
the  beach. 

And  while  Glooskap  was  gathering  Sea- Gulls' 
eggs,  the  evil  Pitcher  stole  away  in  the  canoe, 
and  as  she  paddled  off  she  sang:  — 

"  I  have  left  Glooskap  on  the  island  ! 
I  have  left  Glooskap  on  the  island  ! 
And  I  shall  be  the  greatest  of  Magicians  now  ! " 

But  Glooskap,  when  he  perceived  that  Pitcher 
was  gone,  began  to  sing  a  magic  song,  and  a  Fox, 


!7o       THE  RED  INDIAN  FAIRY  BOOK 

that  was  far  away  beyond  the  mountains,  heard 
him.  It  came  running  to  the  shore,  and  swam  to 
the  island,  where  it  found  the  great  Magician  wait- 
ing. It  bade  him  mount  upon  its  back,  saying: 
"Close  your  eyes  and  do  not  open  them  until  we 
reach  the  shore.  Hold  fast  to  my  tail,  and  we  shall 
soon  be  there." 

So  Glooskap  stepped  upon  its  back,  and  the 
Fox  swam  fast  through  the  water.  And  while  they 
were  yet  far  from  the  shore,  Glooskap,  forgetting 
what  the  Fox  had  said,  opened  his  eyes.  In  a 
minute  the  wind  began  to  blow  fiercely,  and  the 
waves  roared  and  foamed  about  him;  for  the  evil 
Pitcher  had  been  able  to  raise  a  storm  by  means 
of  her  magic.  So  the  Fox  could  not  reach  the  land 
that  day,  and  it  swam  all  through  the  night.  But 
when  morning  dawned,  it  touched  the  shore.  And 
as  Glooskap  stepped  from  its  back,  the  Fox  ran 
away  to  the  forest. 

After  this  Glooskap  set  out  once  more  to  pur- 
sue the  Black  Cats.  And  as  he  followed  their 
tracks  along  a  forest  trail  he  saw  in  the  distance 
old  Dame  Bear  carrying  Martin  the  Fairy  on  her 
back.    And  they  were  following  the  Black  Cats, 


PITCHER  AND  THE  BLACK   CATS      171 

who  had  gone  on  ahead  to  prepare  their  camp  for 
the  night. 

And  Martin  looked  back,  and  saw  Glooskap. 
"My  Brother !  My  elder  Brother ! "  he  cried, ■  ■  Oh, 
Glooskap,  help  me!" 

Just  then  Pitcher  the  Witch  came  hobbling 
down  the  forest  trail,  but  she  did  not  see  Gloos- 
kap. "Cry  out  for  your  brother!"  said  she  to 
Martin  the  Fairy.  "Yes,  cry  out  aloud  to  him! 
Much  good  can  he  do  you,  for  last  night  I  left  him 
on  a  lonely  island  to  die! " 

Then  Martin  cried  out  again,  and  Glooskap 
sprang  on  Pitcher  the  Witch,  shouting:  "Now  I 
know  you,  evil  Pitcher!  Never  again  shall  you 
deceive  me!" 

And  with  that  he  bound  her  by  his  magic  power, 
and  placed  her  back  against  a  tree,  where  she 
stuck  fast.  Then  he  led  Dame  Bear,  still  carrying 
Martin,  to  the  camp  of  the  Black  Cats.  And  when 
the  animals  knew  that  Glooskap  had  overcome 
Pitcher,  they  obeyed  and  served  him,  for  his  magic 
was  stronger  than  theirs. 

Now,  Pitcher  had  a  hatchet  and  wedge,  and  she 
began  to  chop  herself  loose.  And  all  night  long 


172        THE  RED   INDIAN  FAIRY   BOOK 

the  Black  Cats  heard  her  chopping  and  pounding 
and  shrieking  with  rage.  And  when  morning  was 
come  she  hobbled  into  the  camp  with  a  piece  of 
the  tree  stuck  to  her  back.  And  when  the  Black 
Cats  saw  her,  they  leaped  around  her,  and  laughed, 
and  spit  in  her  face. 

Then  Pitcher  the  Witch,  when  she  heard  the 
Black  Cats  laugh,  knew  that  they  would  serve  her 
no  longer.  So  she  ran  through  the  forest  howling 
like  a  wild  Wolf.  At  last  she  came  to  the  shore, 
and,  sitting  down  upon  a  log,  thought  long  and 
fiercely  how  she  might  torment  men  forever. 

And  as  she  thought  thus,  her  body  began  to 
shrink,  and  became  smaller  and  smaller,  until  it 
was  like  a  thin  Fly.  Fine  wings  grew  from  her 
sides,  and  long  legs  beneath  her  body,  while 
sharp  things  like  needles  protruded  from  her 
mouth.  She  rose  buzzing  with  anger  into  the  air, 
and  became  a  Mosquito,  thirsty  for  the  blood  of 
men. 

And  ever  since  that  day  Mosquitoes  have  tor- 
mented people;  and  wherever  there  is  a  Black 
Cat,  a  Witch  is  sure  to  be. 


NOVEMBER   THE   MONTH   OF  FUN   AND 
EATING 


COYOTE  THE  HUNGRY 

{Caddo) 

I 
Now  Coyote  was  always  hungry,  and  as  he  was 
a  coward,  he  used  to  sneak  about  the  fields  and 
timber  searching  for  something  to  eat.  One  day, 
as  he  was  walking  by  the  side  of  a  brook,  he 
heard  something  in  a  Persimmon  Tree.  He  looked 
up,  and  there  was  Opossum  eating  Persimmons. 


176        THE  RED   INDIAN  FAIRY  BOOK 

Coyote  begged  him  to  throw  down  some  of  the 
fruit,  but  Opossum  only  laughed  and  ate  more 
Persimmons.  He  picked  Persimmons,  ate  them 
with  grunts,  and  then  threw  down  the  seeds  at 
Coyote.  This  he  kept  on  doing. 

By  and  by  Coyote  grew  angry,  but  Opossum 
only  laughed  the  more.  He  crawled  out  on  a 
branch  and  dropped  down  as  though  he  were 
going  to  fall  into  Coyote's  mouth.  And  just  when 
Coyote  made  a  snap  at  him  with  his  teeth,  Opos- 
sum, instead  of  falling,  wrapped  his  tail  around 
the  branch  and  drew  himself  up.  This  he  did 
again  and  again. 

Well,  Coyote  grew  more  and  more  angry,  then 
Opossum  climbed  out  on  a  dry  limb,  and  shouted: 
"  Look  out !  Here  I  come  this  time  !  Catch  me  1 " 

And  sure  enough,  the  limb  suddenly  broke,  and 
down  tumbled  Opossum  to  the  ground.  Then 
Coyote  gave  him  a  hard  beating,  and,  leaving  him 
to  die,  walked  away. 

But  Opossum  was  only  fooling,  for  he  was  not 
hurt  at  all.  As  soon  as  Coyote  had  gone  a  little 
distance,  up  jumped  Opossum  and  climbed  into 
the  Persimmon  Tree.  Coyote  turned  around  to  see 


COYOTE   THE   HUNGRY  177 

if  Opossum  was  dead,  and  there  he  sat  in  the 
tree  eating  Persimmons,  and  throwing  down  the 
seeds,  and  laughing. 

11 

Well,  as  Coyote  was  very  hungry,  he  went  on 
farther  looking  for  something  to  eat.  By  and  by 
he  heard  a  noise  as  though  a  lot  of  people  were 
having  fun.  He  went  toward  the  noise  and  saw  a 
number  of  young  Turkeys  playing  on  a  hillside. 
They  were  climbing  into  a  bag,  and  rolling  each 
other  downhill. 

Coyote  thought  to  himself,  "Now  is  my  chance 
to  have  a  good  dinner  I "  So  he  begged  the  Tur- 
keys to  let  him  get  into  the  bag  and  roll  downhill 
too.  As  the  birds  were  good-natured,  they  put 
him  in  the  bag,  and  rolled  him  down  two  or  three 
times. 

Then  Coyote  told  them  that  if  they  would  all 
get  in  at  once,  he  would  roll  them  down  hill.  So 
every  one  crawled  in,  and  Coyote,  quick  as  a 
wink,  tied  the  mouth  of  the  bag  tight,  so  they 
could  not  get  out.  Then  he  slung  the  bag  on  his 
back,  and  went  home. 


178       THE  RED  INDIAN  FAIRY  BOOK 

His  four  Coyote  sons  saw  him  coming,  and 
ran  to  meet  him. 

"You  see  this  bag?"  said  he.  "  It  is  full  of 
Turkeys,  young  and  tender.  Build  me  a  hot  fire, 
and  we  will  have  a  feast." 

They  built  a  fire,  but  there  was  not  enough 
wood,  so  Coyote  had  to  go  to  the  timber  to  fetch 
some.  Before  he  went,  he  said,  "  Be  sure  not  to 
open  the  bag  while  I  am  gone." 

Well,  the  youngest  son  was  very  curious,  and 
as  soon  as  Coyote  was  out  of  sight,  the  youngster 
thought  he  would  like  to  see  what  the  Turkeys 
were  doing.  So  he  untied  the  string,  and  out 
jumped  the  Turkeys  one  and  all,  and  flew  gobbling 
away. 

When  Coyote  came  back  with  the  wood,  he 
found  all  the  Turkeys  gone,  and  though  he  beat 
his  youngest  son,  they  had  no  Turkey  dinner  that 
day. 

in 

On  another  morning,  Coyote  set  out  for  the 
timber  to  get  some  food.  He  soon  saw  a  wild 
Turkey  sitting  on  a  tree.  Now  the  Turkey  was 


A    NUMBER   OF    YOUNG   TURKEYS    PLAYING   ON 
A    HILLSIDE 


COYOTE   THE   HUNGRY  179 

fat,  and  Coyote  licked  his  chops  and  said  to  him- 
self, "  I  must  have  that  fine  bird  for  dinner." 

And  as  Coyote  was  a  great  liar,  as  well  as  a 
coward,  he  spoke  to  the  Turkey,  and  said:  "If 
you  do  not  come  down  from  that  tree  I  will  climb 
up  and  kill  you.  But  if  you  will  fly  over  the 
prairie  I  cannot  hurt  you  there." 

The  Turkey  believed  him,  and  flew  toward 
the  prairie,  and  Coyote  ran  after  him.  The  Turkey 
flew  high  at  first,  but  by  and  by  he  began  to  get 
tired,  and  there  was  no  tree  to  light  on.  So  he 
flew  lower  and  lower,  until  he  reached  the  ground, 
and  then  Coyote  pounced  upon  him,  and  ate  him. 

Now,  while  Coyote  was  licking  the  Turkey's 
bones,  he  looked  back  to  see  if  anybody  was 
watching,  and  he  thought  he  saw  a  man  stand- 
ing just  behind  him  with  a  big  stick  ready  to 
strike  him. 

Coyote  was  terribly  frightened,  and  away  he 
ran  as  fast  as  he  could  go,  every  now  and  then 
turning  around  to  see  if  the  man  was  following. 
And  each  time  he  looked,  he  thought  he  saw  the 
man  close  behind,  ready  to  strike.  So  Coyote  ran 
faster  and  faster,  thinking  he  must  die;  until  at 


180       THE  RED   INDIAN  FAIRY   BOOK 

last  his  strength  gave  out.  Then  he  thought  he 
would  fool  the  man,  and  he  began  to  dodge  from 
left  to  right,  and  right  to  left,  until  he  was  so 
tired  that  he  could  not  run  any  more.  So  he 
rolled  on  the  grass  and  turned  over  on  his  back, 
begging  hard  not  to  be  killed. 

After  that  he  rolled  over  on  his  face,  and  as  he 
did  so  he  heard  something  crack  in  his  head.  He 
thought  it  was  one  of  his  teeth.  But,  no  indeed, 
it  was  not  a  tooth !  It  was  a  long  Turkey  feather 
that  had  stuck  between  two  of  his  upper  teeth, 
and  stood  up  behind  his  left  eye. 

And  when  Coyote  saw  this,  he  knew  that  he 
had  been  fooled ;  for  there  had  been  no  man  be- 
hind him  at  all.  He  had  been  trying  to  run  away 
from  a  Turkey  feather! 

Ever  since  that  day,  Coyote  has  been  afraid, 
and  his  eyes  are  wild;  and  when  he  runs  he  al- 
ways looks  back  to  see  if  anybody  is  following. 


COYOTE  THE  PROUD 

[Pima) 

In  old  days  Coyote  was  bright  green,  and  how 
he  came  to  be  the  colour  of  dust,  was  this  way:  — 

One  day  he  was  walking  along  looking  for 
something  to  eat,  and  he  came  to  a  lake.  And 
there  he  saw  a  little  bird  with  ugly  grey  feathers. 
It  was  bathing  in  the  lake,  and  when  it  came  out 
on  the  bank,  all  its  feathers  fell  off  and  left  its 
skin  bare. 

After  that,  the  little  bird  jumped  into  the  lake 
again,  and  came  out  covered  with  beautiful  bright 
blue  feathers  !  It  hopped  about  and  sang :  — 

"  This  water  is  blue  ! 
And  blue  I  am  too ! " 

11  Little  Bird,"  cried  Coyote,  "  you  are  the  most 
beautiful  thing  I  have  ever  seen !  Tell  me  how 
you  changed  your  ugly  feathers  for  these  bright 
blue  ones." 

"  I  went  into  the  lake  four  times  in  four  days, 
and  sang  a  magic  song,"  said  the  little  bird,  "and 


182       THE  RED  INDIAN   FAIRY   BOOK 

the  fourth  time,  my  feathers  all  fell  off.  Then  I 
jumped  in  a  fifth  time,  and  these  beautiful  ones 
grew  all  over  me." 

"Little  Bird,"  said  Coyote,  "teach  me  your 
song,  for  I  also  wish  to  be  blue." 

So  the  bird  taught  Coyote  its  song,  and  he 
jumped  into  the  lake  and  bathed  four  times  in 
four  days.  The  fourth  time  all  his  hair  dropped 
off.  Then  he  jumped  in  again,  and  his  hair  came 
back  a  beautiful  bright  blue. 

Well !  He  was  proud !  And  as  he  walked  along 
he  looked  about  on  all  sides  to  see  if  any  one  was 
admiring  him.  He  even  examined  his  shadow  to 
see  if  it  was  blue.  And  of  course  he  did  not  look 
where  he  was  going,  and  suddenly  he  hit  a  stump, 
and  rolled  over  into  the  dust. 

He  rolled  and  rolled,  and  when  he  got  up  he 
was  all  dust-coloured !  And  that  is  the  reason 
why  ever  since  that  day  all  Coyotes  have  been 
the  colour  of  dirt. 


THE  MAGIC  WINDPIPE 
[Arikara\ 

A  long  time  ago  there  lived  a  beautiful  Indian 
girl.  Her  lodge  was  on  the  edge  of  a  forest,  and 
she  dwelt  alone.  And  though  she  never  hunted 
or  fished,  she  always  had  plenty  to  eat,  and  no 
one  knew  where  it  came  from.  In  her  lodge  hung 
a  magic  bundle,  and  near  it  were  seven  tiny  bows 
and  a  lot  of  grass  arrows. 

One  day  as  she  was  eating  her  dinner,  Coyote 
came  through  the  forest,  and  stopped  at  her  door. 
He  saw  that  she  had  roast  Buffalo  meat,  and  he 
licked  his  chops. 

"You  have  no  man  around,"  said  he  to  the  girl ; 
"  may  I  stay  and  do  your  errands  ?  " 

"Yes,"  said  she,  "you  may  stay." 

So  Coyote  lived  with  her,  and  made  her  fires 
and  brought  water  from  the  spring. 

By  and  by  all  the  Buffalo  meat  was  gone,  and 
Coyote  wondered  how  she  was  going  to  get  more. 
Then  the  girl  said :  — 

"  Uncle  Coyote,  our  food  is  gone.   I  want  some 


184       THE  RED   INDIAN  FAIRY  BOOK 

fresh  meat.  My  brothers  will  be  here  to-day.  Do 
you  go  to  the  north  side  of  the  entrance  and  cover 
your  head  with  a  Buffalo  robe,  and  don't  watch 
what  I  do." 

So  Coyote  did  as  he  was  told,  and  when  his 
head  was  covered,  he  peeped  out  and  saw  the 
girl  sweep  the  lodge  clean.  Then  she  placed  hot 
coals  in  the  centre  of  the  room,  and  put  some 
sweet-grass  on  the  coals.  As  the  smoke  arose, 
she  lifted  the  magic  bundle  from  the  wall,  and 
opening  it,  took  out  the  windpipe  of  a  Buffalo.  It 
was  round,  and  small  at  one  end,  and  big  at  the 
other. 

She  waved  the  windpipe  over  the  smoke,  and 
turned  the  small  end  down,  and  some  dust  fell 
out  on  the  floor.  Then  the  dust  changed  into 
seven  handsome  braves,  her  brothers. 

The  young  men  took  down  the  tiny  bows  and 
arrows  from  the  wall,  and  they  changed  into  big 
bows  and  arrows. 

The  girl  wrapped  herself  in  a  Buffalo  robe, 
then  went  and  stood  in  the  door.  She  gave  a  yell 
to  the  north,  and  a  yell  to  the  west,  and  immedi- 
ately herds  of  Buffalo  came  rushing  over  the  plain. 


THE  MAGIC   WINDPIPE  185 

Then  she  went  back  into  the  lodge,  and  her  bro- 
thers began  to  kill  the  Buffalo.  When  they  had 
killed  as  many  as  they  wanted,  the  rest  of  the 
animals  ran  away,  and  the  brothers  came  back 
into  the  lodge. 

The  girl  put  more  sweet-grass  on  the  coals, 
and  when  the  smoke  rose  up  the  brothers  stepped 
behind  it,  and  disappeared.  The  girl  took  the 
magic  windpipe,  held  it  over  the  coals,  gathered 
up  a  handful  of  dust  from  the  floor,  and  put  it  into 
the  windpipe.  After  that  she  put  the  windpipe 
into  the  magic  bundle  and  hung  it  again  on  the 
wall. 

She  next  passed  the  big  bows  and  arrows 
through  the  smoke  and  they  became  tiny  bows 
and  grass  arrows,  and  she  hung  them  up,  too. 

Now,  Coyote  was  very  much  astonished  to  see 
all  this,  but  he  kept  quiet.  By  and  by  the  girl 
called  him,  and  showed  him  the  dead  Buffalo. 
He  helped  her  to  skin  the  animals,  and  to  dry  the 
flesh.  After  that  she  let  Coyote  roast  all  the  bones 
he  wished. 

When  Coyote  had  eaten  the  roast  meat,  he  be- 
gan to  think  of  his  hungry  children  at  home,  and 


186       THE  RED  INDIAN  FAIRY  BOOK 

said  to  himself,  *'  If  I  only  had  that  magic  wind- 
pipe, I  could  call  the  Buffalo  whenever  I  wished, 
and  the  seven  young  braves  would  kill  them  for 
me." 

Then  he  asked  the  girl  if  the  windpipe  held 
more  than  seven  young  men.  "  Oh,  yes,"  said 
she ;  "  whenever  I  turn  the  big  end  upside  down, 
a  war  party  comes  out,  headed  by  my  seven  bro- 
thers, and  they  fight  for  me." 

When  Coyote  heard  this,  he  decided  to  steal 
the  windpipe  that  night,  for  he  thought,  "  When 
my  enemies  see  all  those  braves,  they  will  think 
me  powerful,  and  will  run  away." 

Now  the  girl  knew  that  Coyote  was  planning 
to  steal  the  windpipe,  and  she  let  him  take  it. 
That  night,  when  she  was  asleep,  he  lifted  down 
the  magic  bundle  from  the  wall,  and,  opening  it, 
took  out  the  windpipe  and  ran  away  fast  toward 
the  north. 

He  travelled  far  until  he  was  tired,  and  then 
lay  down  by  a  log  to  sleep.  The  girl  knew  this, 
and  she  told  her  brothers  to  bring  him  back. 
They  did  so,  and  placed  him  on  the  floor  of  the 
lodge. 


THE  MAGIC   WINDPIPE  187 

And  when  he  woke  in  the  morning,  there  he 
lay,  with  the  magic  windpipe  in  his  paw,  and  the 
girl  looking  at  him. 

"Oh,  my  niece,"  said  he,  "I  thought  a  war- 
party  was  coming  in  the  night,  so  I  took  this 
down.  Put  it  back."  So  the  girl  tied  the  wind- 
pipe up  in  the  magic  bundle,  and  hung  it  on  the 
wall. 

The  next  night  Coyote  ran  away  again  with 
the  magic  windpipe,  and  when  he  came  to  a  place 
where  he  thought  he  was  safe,  he  lay  down  to 
sleep.  The  girl  told  her  brothers  to  bring  him 
back.  They  did  so,  and  placed  him  on  the  floor 
of  the  lodge. 

And  when  he  woke  in  the  morning,  there  he 
lay,  with  the  magic  windpipe  in  his  paw,  and  the 
girl  looking  at  him. 

"Oh,  my  niece,"  said  he,  "I  took  this  down 
because  the  enemy  came  in  the  night,  and  I  fright- 
ened him  away.  Put  it  back."  So  the  girl  tied  the 
windpipe  up  again,  and  hung  it  on  the  wall.  And 
the  same  thing  happened  the  third  night. 

The  fourth  time  Coyote  stole  the  magic  wind- 
pipe, the  girl  let  him  take  it  and  did  not  tell  her 


188       THE  RED   INDIAN  FAIRY  BOOK 

brothers  to  bring  him  back.  No,  indeed !  She  let 
him  go  on  until  he  came  to  a  village.  He  was  very- 
hungry,  so  he  said  to  himself,  "  I  will  call  out  the 
people  and  order  them  to  feed  me,  and  if  they  do 
not  obey,  I  will  turn  the  big  end  of  the  windpipe 
upside  down,  and  the  war-party  will  come  out." 

So  he  called  out  the  people,  and  the  braves 
came  running  and  shouting  from  the  lodges,  and 
the  boys  and  dogs  came  too.  And  when  they  saw 
Coyote,  the  men  and  boys  began  to  kick  him,  and 
throw  stones  at  him,  and  the  dogs  bit  him.  He 
turned  the  windpipe  upside  down,  when,  instead  of 
a  war-party,  out  burst  a  whole  swarm  of  Bumble- 
bees, millions  of  them,  buzzing  with  rage. 

They  settled  all  over  Coyote,  and  stung  him 
so  hard  that  he  ran  howling  into  the  forest.  And 
they  kept  on  stinging  him  until  he  was  well  pun- 
ished for  his  lying  and  stealing. 

After  that,  the  Bumblebees  swarmed  up  into  a 
hollow  tree,  and  they  have  lived  there  ever  since. 
As  for  the  magic  windpipe,  the  brothers  took  it 
back  to  the  girl. 


THE  BIRDS'   BALL-GAME 

[Cherokee) 

This  is  what  the  old  men  told  me  when  I  was  a 
boy:  — 

Once  the  animals  challenged  the  birds  to  play 
a  great  ball-game,  and  the  birds  accepted.  The 
leaders  set  the  day,  and  chose  a  ball-ground  in  a 
smooth,  green  meadow  near  a  river.  When  the 
time  arrived,  all  the  animals  and  birds  met  together 
to  start  for  the  ball-ground. 

The  captain  of  the  animals  was  the  Bear,  who 
was  so  big  and  strong  that  he  could  pull  down 
any  one  who  got  in  his  way.  All  along  the  road 
he  kept  growling  and  tossing  up  great  logs  and 
catching  them  again,  in  order  to  show  how  fierce 
and  strong  he  was.  And  he  boasted  loudly  of 
what  dreadful  things  he  would  do  to  the  birds 
when  the  game  should  begin. 

The  Terrapin  was  there,  too,  not  the  small  one 
we  have  now,  but  the  Great  and  Original  Terrapin. 
His  shell  was  so  hard  that  the  weightiest  blows 
could  not  hurt  him,  and  he  kept  rising  up  on  his 


igo       THE  RED   INDIAN   FAIRY  BOOK 

hind  legs  and  dropping  heavily  to  the  ground. 
And  at  the  same  time  he  bragged  how  he  would 
crush  any  bird  that  might  try  to  take  the  ball  from 
him. 

Then  came  the  Deer,  who  was  so  swift  that  he 
could  outrun  any  animal.  Altogether  it  was  a  fine 
company ! 

Over  their  heads  flew  the  birds,  hundreds  of 
them.  Their  captain  was  the  Eagle.  And  the  Hawk 
was  present  also,  swift  and  strong  for  flight,  and 
the  Swallow,  the  Martin,  the  Robin,  and  the  Wren 
were  there.  But  all  of  them  were  a  little  afraid  of 
the  animals,  because  they  were  so  much  larger 
than  the  birds. 

When  they  reached  the  ball-ground  they  had 
a  great  dance,  after  which  the  birds  flew  up  into 
the  trees,  and  the  animals  rested  on  the  grass. 
And  while  they  were  waiting  for  the  signal  to  be- 
gin the  game,  two  little  creatures,  not  much  big- 
ger than  Field  Mice,  began  to  climb  the  tree  in 
which  was  the  birds'  captain,  the  Eagle. 

When  they  reached  the  bough  on  which  the 
Eagle  was  perched,  they  stood  before  him  humbly, 
and  begged  to  be  allowed  to  join  the  game. 


THE  BIRDS'  BALL-GAME  191 

The  captain  looked  at  them  closely,  and  seeing 
that  each  had  four  feet,  asked  why  they  did  not 
go  to  the  animals.  The  little  creatures  explained 
sadly  that  they  had  spoken  to  the  Bear,  but  be- 
cause they  were  so  small,  all  the  animals  had  made 
fun  of  them  and  driven  them  away. 

Then  the  birds'  captain  was  sorry  for  them, 
and  agreed  to  let  them  join  the  game. 

But  how  were  they  to  play  when  they  had  no 
wings  ?  The  Eagle,  the  Hawk,  and  the  other 
chief  birds  consulted  together,  and  decided  to 
make  some  wings  for  the  little  fellows. 

One  of  the  birds  fetched  the  drum  that  had 
been  used  for  the  dance,  and  they  cut  off  the 
drumhead,  which  was  made  of  Groundhog-skin. 
From  this  they  made  a  pair  of  leathery  wings 
and  stretched  them  with  cane  splints.  They  fas- 
tened the  wings  to  the  fore  legs  of  one  of  the  lit- 
tle creatures.  And  he  became  the  Bat. 

Then  the  Eagle  threw  the  ball  and  told  him  to 
catch  it.  And  the  Bat  dodged  and  circled  around 
in  the  air,  never  letting  the  ball  fall  to  the  ground. 
The  birds  soon  saw  that  he  would  be  one  of  their 
best  players. 


192       THE  RED  INDIAN  FAIRY  BOOK 

Now,  they  wished  to  make  wings  for  the  other 
little  fellow,  but  all  the  leather  had  been  used  for 
the  Bat.  So  two  of  the  largest  birds,  with  their 
beaks,  took  hold  of  the  little  one's  fur  on  either 
side,  and  they  pulled  and  pulled,  until  they  stretched 
his  skin  between  his  fore  and  hind  legs.  And  he 
became  the  Flying  Squirrel. 

To  see  how  well  he  could  play,  the  birds'  cap- 
tain tossed  the  ball,  and  the  Flying  Squirrel  sprang 
off  the  tree,  caught  it  in  his  teeth,  and  carried  it 
through  the  air  to  the  next  tree.  So  the  birds  knew 
he  would  be  a  fine  player. 

Now,  all  the  animals  and  the  birds  were  ready, 
and  the  signal  was  given  for  the  game  to  begin. 
As  soon  as  the  ball  was  tossed,  the  Flying  Squirrel 
caught  it  up,  and  carried  it  into  a  tree.  From  there 
he  threw  it  to  the  birds,  who  kept  it  in  the  air  for 
a  long  time,  until  by  accident  it  fell  to  the  Earth. 

Immediately  the  Bear  rushed  for  the  ball,  but 
the  Martin  darted  after  it,  and  seizing  it  fast,  threw 
it  to  the  Bat,  who  was  flying  near  the  ground.  And 
the  Bat,  by  his  dodging  and  doubling,  kept  the 
ball  out  of  the  way  of  even  the  Deer,  until  at  last 
he  sent  it  spinning  between  the  poles. 


THE   BIRDS'  BALL-GAME  193 

And  so  the  birds  won  the  game.  But  the  Bear 
and  the  Terrapin,  who  had  boasted  of  what  great 
things  they  would  do,  never  got  a  chance  even  to 
touch  the  ball 

The  Martin  received  as  a  reward  a  gourd  in 
which  to  build  his  nest.  And  ever  since  that  day 
the  Flying  Squirrel  and  the  Bat  have  been  friends 
with  the  birds. 


WHY  THE  TURKEY  GOBBLES 

{Cherokee) 

This  story,  too,  is  what  the  old  men  told  me 
when  I  was  a  boy :  — 

In  the  old  times,  the  animals  and  birds  liked 
to  play  ball,  and  they  shouted  and  hallooed  just 
as  players  do  to-day. 

Well,  the  Grouse  used  to  have  a  fine  voice  and 
could  shout  very  loud  at  the  ball-game ;  but  the 
Turkey  could  make  no  noise  at  all. 

One  day  the  Turkey  asked  the  Grouse  to  teach 
him  how  to  use  his  voice,  and  the  Grouse  agreed 
to  do  so  in  return  for  a  ruffle  of  feathers  to  wear 
about  his  neck.  The  Turkey  gave  him  a  fine  one, 
and  that  is  how  the  Grouse  got  his  collar  of 
feathers. 

Well,  they  began  the  lessons,  and  the  Turkey 
learned  very  fast.  By  and  by  the  Grouse  thought 
it  was  time  to  try  the  Turkey's  voice  at  a  dis- 
tance, to  see  how  far  he  could  shout. 

"Now,"  said  the  Grouse,  "do  you  go  over  by 
yonder  tree  and  I  '11  stand  on  this  hollow  log. 


WHY   THE   TURKEY   GOBBLES  195 

When  I  give  the  signal  by  tapping  on  the  log, 
do  you  shout  as  loud  as  you  can." 

The  Turkey  was  so  eager  and  excited  that, 
when  the  Grouse  gave  the  signal,  he  tried  to 
shout,  but  could  not  raise  his  voice,  and  all  he 
could  say  was,  "  Gobble  !  Gobble !  Gobble !  " 

And  since  that  day,  whenever  the  Turkey 
hears  a  noise,  he  can  only  gobble. 


THE  LAND  OF  THE  NORTHERN  LIGHTS 

[Algonquin) 

Once  there  was  a  Wabanaki  Chief  who  had  an 
only  son.  The  boy  worried  his  parents  very  much 
because  he  never  played  with  other  boys  and 
girls  in  the  village.  Every  few  days  he  took 
down  his  bow  and  arrows  from  the  side  of  the 
wigwam,  and  went  away,  no  one  knew  where. 
And  when  he  came  back,  his  mother  and  father 
asked  him:  "Where  have  you  been?  What  have 
you  seen?"  And  he  never  answered  a  word. 

One  day  the  Chief  said  to  his  wife:  "  Our  son 
must  be  watched.  I  will  follow  him." 

So  the  next  time  the  boy  took  down  the  bow 
and  arrows,  his  father  followed  in  his  path.  They 
travelled  along  for  some  time,  until  the  Chief  felt 
himself  walking  over  a  trail  of  dim,  white  light. 
Then  his  eyes  were  closed  by  invisible  power, 
and  he  saw  nothing  more. 

When  he  could  open  his  eyes  again,  he  was 
standing  in  a  strange  country  lighted  by  dim, 
white  light,  and  the  people  walking  about  him 


LAND  OF  THE  NORTHERN   LIGHTS     197 

were  different  from  any  he  had  ever  seen  before. 
And  near  him  were  many  white  wigwams. 

While  the  Chief  was  looking  around,  an  old 
man  stepped  up  to  him,  and  said,  "  Do  you  know 
what  land  this  is?  " 

"No,"  said  the  Chief. 

11  You  are  in  the  Land  of  the  Northern  Lights," 
replied  the  old  man.  "I  came  here  many  years 
ago  from  the  lower  country.  I  walked  along  the 
Milky  Way,  which  is  the  same  trail  over  which 
you  came.  There  is  a  boy  who  comes  every  few 
days  over  that  path,  to  play  with  our  people." 

"That  boy  is  my  son,"  said  the  Chief;  "where 
may  I  find  him  ?  And  how  may  we  return  in  safety 
to  the  lower  country?" 

"You  will  soon  see  your  son  playing  with  our 
people,  and  if  you  wish  it,  the  Chief  of  the 
Northern  Lights  will  send  you  both  home  safely." 

Then  the  Chief  saw  that  a  ball-game  was  begin- 
ning. Many  braves  came  from  the  wigwams.  They 
wore  around  their  waists  belts  made  of  rainbows, 
and  from  their  heads  arose  lights  of  every  colour. 

And  as  they  threw  the  ball,  the  lights  from  their 
belts  and  heads  shot  up  against  the  dim,  white 


198       THE  RED   INDIAN  FAIRY   BOOK 

sky.  Flashes  of  rose,  violet,  green,  yellow,  orange, 
and  red,  quivered,  leaped,  and  danced  against  the 
Sky,  and  died  down.  And  then  the  flashes  shot 
upward  again,  flickering  and  dancing.  And  the 
brave,  with  the  brightest  lights  upon  his  head, 
was  the  Chiefs  son. 

While  the  Chief  was  watching  the  game,  the 
old  man  went  to  the  wigwam  of  the  Chief  of  the 
Northern  Lights,  and  said,  "There  is  a  man  here 
from  the  lower  country,  who  wishes  to  return  to 
his  home,  and  take  his  son  with  him." 

So  the  Chief  of  the  Northern  Lights  called  all 
his  people  together,  and  bade  them  give  back  the 
boy  to  his  father.  Then  he  summoned  two  great 
birds  and  told  them  to  carry  the  boy  and  man 
back  in  safety  to  the  lower  country. 

One  bird  lifted  up  the  boy,  and  the  other  took 
up  his  father,  and  they  flew  away  with  them  along 
the  Milky  Way.  The  Chief  felt  his  eyes  closed 
again,  and  when  he  could  open  them,  he  was 
standing  with  his  son,  near  his  own  wigwam. 

And  after  that  the  boy  taught  the  men  of  the 
village  the  ball-game.  And  that  is  how  the  Wa- 
banaki  say  they  learned  to  play  ball. 


THE  POOR  TURKEY  GIRL 

Once  long,  long  ago,  in  Matsaki  the  Salt  City, 
there  lived  many  rich  Indians  who  owned  large 
flocks  of  Turkeys.  The  poor  people  of  the  town 
herded  them  on  the  mesas,  or  on  the  plains  around 
Thunder  Mountain,  at  the  foot  of  which  Matsaki 
stood. 

Now,  at  this  time,  on  the  border  of  the  town 
was  a  little  tumble-down  hut  in  which  there  lived 
alone  a  very  poor  girl.  Her  clothes  were  patched 
and  ragged ;  and,  though  she  had  a  winning  face 
and  bright  eyes,  she  was  shameful  to  behold  be- 
cause her  hair  was  uncombed  and  her  face  dirty. 
She  herded  Turkeys  for  a  living,  in  return  for 
which  she  received  a  little  food,  and  now  and  then 
an  old  garment. 

But  she  had  a  kind  heart,  and  was  lonely,  so 
she  was  good  to  her  Turkeys  as  she  drove  them 
to  and  from  the  plains  each  day.  The  birds  loved 
her  very  much,  and  would  come  at  her  call,  or  go 
wherever  she  wished. 


200       THE  RED  INDIAN  FAIRY  BOOK 

One  day  this  poor  girl  was  driving  her  Turkeys 
past  Old  Zuni,  and  as  she  went  along  she  heard 
a  man,  who  was  standing  upon  a  house-top,  in- 
vite all  the  people  of  Zuni  and  the  other  towns  to 
come  to  a  great  dance  that  was  to  take  place  in 
four  days. 

Now  this  poor  girl  had  never  been  allowed  to 
join  in,  or  even  to  watch,  the  dances,  and  she 
longed  to  see  this  one.  She  sighed,  and  said  to 
her  Turkeys,  —  for  she  often  talked  to  them,  — 
"Alas!  How  could  a  girl,  so  ugly  and  ill-clad 
as  I  am,  watch  and  much  less  join  in  the  great 
dance !  "  Then  she  drove  her  Turkeys  to  the 
plain,  and  when  night  came,  returned  them  to  their 
cage  on  the  edge  of  the  town. 

So  every  day,  for  three  days,  this  poor  girl 
drove  her  Turkeys  out  in  the  morning,  and  saw 
the  people  busy  cleaning  and  mending  their  gar- 
ments, cooking  all  sorts  of  good  things,  and  mak- 
ing ready  for  the  festival.  And  she  heard  them 
laughing  and  talking  about  the  great  dance.  And 
as  she  went  along  with  her  Turkeys,  she  talked  to 
them,  and  told  them  how  sad  she  was.  Of  course 
she  did  not  think  they  understood  a  word. 


THE  POOR  TURKEY  GIRL  201 

They  did  understand,  however,  for  on  the 
fourth  day,  when  all  the  people  of  Matsaki  had 
gone  to  Old  Zuni,  and  the  poor  girl  was  herding 
her  Turkeys  on  the  plain,  a  big  Gobbler  strutted 
up  to  her.  He  made  a  fan  of  his  tail,  and  skirts 
of  his  wings,  and,  blushing  with  pride  and  puffing 
with  importance,  he  stretched  his  neck,  and  said :  — 

"O  Maiden  Mother,  we  know  what  your 
thoughts  are,  and  truly  pity  you.  We  wish  that, 
like  the  other  people  of  Matsaki,  you  might  enjoy 
the  great  dance.  Last  night,  after  you  had  placed 
us  safely  and  comfortably  in  our  cage,  we  said  to 
ourselves,  '  Our  maiden  mother  is  just  as  worthy 
to  enjoy  the  dance  as  any  maiden  of  Matsaki  or 
Zuni.' 

''So  now,  listen,  Maiden  Mother,"  continued 
the  old  Gobbler.  "Would  you  like  to  go  to  the 
dance,  and  be  merry  with  the  best  of  your  people  ? 
If  you  will  drive  us  home  early  this  afternoon, 
when  the  dance  is  most  gay  and  the  people  are 
most  happy,  we  will  make  you  so  handsome  and 
dress  you  so  prettily  that  no  one  will  know  you. 
And  the  young  men  will  wonder  whence  you  came, 
and  lay  hold  of  your  hand  in  the  dance." 


202        THE  RED   INDIAN   FAIRY  BOOK 

At  first  the  poor  girl  was  very  much  surprised 
to  hear  the  Gobbler  speak,  then  it  seemed  so  nat- 
ural that  her  Turkeys  should  talk  to  her  as  she 
did  to  them,  that  she  sat  down  on  a  little  mound, 
and  said :  "  My  beloved  Turkeys,  how  glad  I  am 
that  we  may  speak  together  !  But  why  should  you 
promise  me  things  that  you  know  I  cannot  have  ?" 

"Trust  us,"  said  the  old  Gobbler,  "and  when 
we  begin  to  call,  and  gobble,  gobble,  and  turn 
toward  our  home  in  Matsaki,  do  you  follow  us ; 
and  we  will  show  you  what  we  can  do  for  you. 
Only  let  me  tell  you  one  thing.  If  you  remain 
true  and  kind  of  heart,  no  one  knows  what  hap- 
piness and  good  fortune  may  come  to  you.  But 
if  you  forget  us,  your  friends,  and  do  not  return 
to  us  before  sunset,  then  we  will  think,  '  Behold, 
our  maiden  mother  deserves  all  her  poverty  and 
hard  life,  for  when  good  fortune  came  she  forgot 
her  friends  and  was  ungrateful."' 

"  Never  fear,  my  Turkeys ! "  cried  the  girl, 
"never  fear!  Whatever  you  tell  me  to  do  I  will 
do !  I  will  be  as  obedient  as  you  have  always 
been  to  me!" 

The  noon  hour  was  scarcely  passed,  when  the 


THE   POOR   TURKEY   GIRL  203 

Turkeys  of  their  own  accord  turned  homeward, 
gobbling  as  they  went.  And  the  girl  followed 
them,  light  of  heart.  They  knew  their  cage,  and 
immediately  ran  into  it.  When  they  had  all  en- 
tered, the  old  Gobbler  called  to  the  girl,  "  Come 
into  our  house  !  " 

So  she  went  in,  and  he  said,  "  Maiden  Mother, 
sit  down,  and  give  us  one  by  one  your  garments, 
and  we  will  see  what  we  can  do  with  them." 

The  girl  obediently  drew  off  her  ragged  mantle, 
and  cast  it  on  the  floor  in  front  of  the  Gobbler. 
He  seized  it  in  his  beak,  and  spread  it  out.  Then 
he  picked  and  picked  at  it,  and  trod  upon  it.  Low- 
ering his  wings,  he  began  to  strut  back  and  forth 
upon  it.  Next,  taking  it  up  in  his  beak,  he  puffed 
and  puffed,  and  laid  it  down  at  the  feet  of  the 
girl  —  a  beautiful  white  embroidered  mantle! 

Another  Gobbler  came  forward,  and  the  girl 
gave  him  one  of  her  garments,  which  in  the  same 
manner,  he  made  very  fine.  And  then  another 
and  another  Gobbler  did  the  same,  until  each 
garment  was  made  into  as  new  and  beautiful  a 
thing  as  that  worn  by  any  maiden  of  Matsaki. 

Before  the  girl  put  these  on,  the  Turkeys  cir- 


204       THE  RED   INDIAN  FAIRY  BOOK 

cled  about  her,  singing  and  brushing  her  with 
their  wings,  until  she  was  clean,  and  her  skin  as 
smooth  and  bright  as  that  of  the  loveliest  maiden 
of  Matsaki.  Her  hair  was  soft  and  waving,  her 
cheeks  full  and  dimpled,  and  her  eyes  dancing 
with  smiles. 

Then  an  old  Turkey  Gobbler  came  forward, 
and  said:  "  O  Maiden  Mother,  all  you  lack  now 
is  some  rich  ornaments.    Wait  a  minute!  " 

Spreading  his  wings,  he  trod  round  and  round, 
throwing  his  head  back,  and  laying  his  wattled 
beard  upon  his  neck.  By  and  by  he  began  to 
cough,  and  he  produced  in  his  beak  a  beautiful 
necklace.  And  one  by  one  the  other  Gobblers 
did  the  same  thing,  and  coughed  up  earrings,  and 
all  the  ornaments  befitting  a  well-clad  maiden, 
and  laid  them  at  the  feet  of  the  poor  Turkey 
girl. 

With  these  beautiful  things,  she  decorated  her- 
self, and  thanking  the  Turkeys  over  and  over, 
she  started  to  go  to  the  great  dance.  But  the 
Turkeys  called  out:  "O  Maiden  Mother,  leave 
open  the  wicket  gate,  for  who  knows  whether 
you  will  remember  your  Turkeys  when  your  for- 


THE   POOR   TURKEY   GIRL  205 

tunes  are  changed  !  Perhaps  you  will  be  ashamed 
of  being  the  maiden  mother  of  Turkeys.  But  we 
love  you,  and  would  bring  you  good  fortune ! 
Therefore  remember  our  words,  and  do  not  stay 
too  late." 

"I  will  surely  remember  you,  my  Turkeys," 
answered  the  girl,  and  she  opened  the  wicket,  and 
sped  hastily  away  toward  Old  Zuni. 

When  she  arrived  there,  the  people  looked  at 
her,  and  she  heard  murmurs  of  astonishment  at 
her  beauty  and  the  richness  of  her  dress.  The 
people  were  asking  one  another,  "Who  is  this 
lovely  maiden?" 

The  Chiefs  of  the  dance,  all  gorgeous  in  their 
attire,  hastily  came  to  her,  and  invited  her  to  join 
the  youths  and  maidens  in  the  dance.  With  a 
blush  and  a  smile  and  a  toss  of  her  hair  over  her 
eyes,  the  girl  stepped  into  the  circle,  and  the 
finest  youths  among  the  dancers  sought  to  lay 
hold  of  her  hand. 

Her  heart  became  merry,  her  feet  light,  and 
she  danced  and  danced  until  the  Sun  began  to  go 
down.  Then,  alas  !  in  her  happiness  she  thought 
of  her  Turkeys,  and  said  to  herself:  "  Why  should 


206       THE  RED   INDIAN  FAIRY   BOOK 

I  go  away  from  this  delightful  place,  to  my  flock 
of  gobbling  Turkeys  ?  I  will  stay  a  little  longer, 
and  just  before  the  Sun  sets,  I  will  run  back  to 
them.  Then  these  people  will  not  know  who  I 
am,  and  I  shall  have  the  joy  of  hearing  them  talk 
day  after  day,  wondering  who  the  girl  was,  who 
joined  their  dance." 

So  the  time  sped  on,  and  soon  the  Sun  set, 
and  the  dance  was  well-nigh  over.  Then  the 
girl,  breaking  away,  ran  out  of  the  town,  and 
being  swift  of  foot,  she  sped  up  the  river-path 
before  any  one  could  follow  the  course  she  took. 

As  for  the  Turkeys,  when  they  saw  that  it 
grew  late,  they  began  to  wonder  and  wonder 
that  their  maiden  mother  did  not  return  to  them. 
And  when  the  Sun  had  set,  the  old  Gobbler 
mournfully  said:  "Alas!  It  is  as  we  might  have 
known!  She  has  forgotten  us!  So  she  is  not 
worthy  of  better  things  than  those  she  has  been 
used  to !  Let  us  go  to  the  mountains,  and  endure 
captivity  no  longer,  since  our  maiden  mother  is 
not  so  good  and  true  as  we  once  thought  her." 

So  calling,  calling  to  one  another,  and  gob- 
bling, gobbling  in  a  loud  voice,  they  trooped  out 


THE  POOR  TURKEY   GIRL  207 

of  their  cage,  and  ran  through  the  canon,  and 
around  Thunder  Mountain,  and  up  the  valley. 

All  breathless  the  girl  arrived  at  the  wicket, 
and  looked  in.  And,  lo,  not  a  Turkey  was  there ! 
She  ran  and  she  ran  along  their  trail.  And  when 
she  reached  the  valley,  they  were  far  ahead,  and 
she  could  hear  them  calling,  calling  to  one  an- 
other, and  gobbling,  gobbling  loudly.  She  re- 
doubled her  speed,  and  as  she  drew  nearer,  she 
heard  them  singing  sadly :  — 

"  Oh,  our  maiden  mother, 
Whom  we  love  so  well, 
To  the  dance  went  to-day! 

"Therefore,  as  she  lingers, 
To  the  canon  mesa, 
We'll  all  run  away!" 

Hearing  this,  the  girl  called  to  her  Turkeys, 
called  and  called  in  vain  I  They  quickened  their 
steps,  and  spreading  their  wings  to  help  them- 
selves along,  ran  on  till  they  came  to  the  base  of 
the  canon  mesa.  Then,  singing  once  more  their 
sad  song,  they  spread  wide  their  wings,  and  flut- 
tered away  over  the  plain  above. 


208       THE  RED  INDIAN   FAIRY  BOOK 

As  for  the  girl,  she  looked  down  at  her  gar- 
ments, and,  lo,  they  were  changed  again  to  rags 
and  patches  and  dirt!  And  she  was  the  same 
poor  Turkey  girl  that  she  had  been  before. 

Weary  and  weeping,  and  very  much  ashamed, 
she  returned  to  Matsaki. 


DECEMBER  THE  MONTH  OF  GIFTS 


THE   MUD   PONY 

[Skidi  Pawnee) 

Once  there  was  an  Indian  camp,  and  in  it  lived 
a  boy.  His  parents  were  very  poor,  and  had  no 
ponies.  The  boy  was  fond  of  ponies,  and  often 
sat  on  the  bank  of  the  creek,  while  the  other 
boys  were  watering  theirs. 

One  day  the  boy  made  up  his  mind  to  have  a 
pony  of  his  own.    He  crossed  the  creek,  and  got 


212       THE  RED  INDIAN  FAIRY  BOOK 

some  wood,  and  built  a  little  corral.  He  then 
took  a  quantity  of  sticky  mud  to  the  corral,  and 
made  two  ponies  of  mud.  He  got  some  white 
clay,  and  put  it  on  the  head  of  one ;  so  that  it 
was  white-faced. 

Then  the  boy  was  happy !  Every  morning  he 
went  to  the  corral,  and  carried  his  mud  ponies 
down  to  the  creek,  and  dipped  their  noses  in  the 
water.  Then  he  took  them  back  to  the  corral 
again.  He  heaped  grass  and  green  cotton  wood 
shoots  before  them,  and  took  as  good  care  of 
them  as  if  they  were  real  ponies. 

Well,  one  day  the  boy  went  to  see  his  mud 
ponies,  and  he  found  that  one  of  them  had  crum- 
bled to  dust.  He  felt  so  badly  that  he  cried;  and 
after  that  he  took  even  better  care  of  the  one  that 
was  left.    It  was  the  one  with  the  white  face. 

On  another  morning,  while  the  boy  was  in  his 
corral,  the  people  broke  camp,  and  went  on  a 
Buffalo  hunt.  The  boy's  parents  looked  every- 
where for  him,  and  when  they  could  not  find  him, 
they  had  to  go  away  without  him.  And  when  he 
went  back  to  the  place  where  the  camp  had  been, 
all  the  people  were  gone! 


THE  MUD  PONY  213 

He  cried  and  cried,  and  wandered  about  pick- 
ing up  pieces  of  dried  meat  the  people  had  thrown 
away.  When  night  came,  he  lay  down  and  cried 
himself  to  sleep.  Then  he  dreamed  that  a  white- 
faced  pony  came  to  him,  and  said:  "My  Son,  you 
are  poor,  and  Mother  Earth  has  taken  pity  on  you, 
and  has  given  me  to  you.  I  am  a  part  of  her." 

Well,  when  the  boy  woke  up,  it  was  broad  day- 
light. He  rose  and  went  to  his  corral  to  look  after 
his  mud  pony.  And  what  did  he  see  standing  in 
front  of  the  corral,  but  a  fine  little  pony  with  a 
white  face  !  It  was  pawing  the  ground,  and  toss- 
ing its  mane. 

The  boy  rubbed  his  eyes  to  see  if  it  was  a  real 
pony.  He  went  up  to  it,  and  stroked  its  sides;  and 
it  whinnied  with  joy,  and  sniffed  at  his  fingers. 
So  he  got  a  piece  of  rope,  and  put  it  round  the 
pony's  neck,  and  led  it  down  to  the  water. 

But  the  pony  would  not  drink  at  all,  and  said 
like  the  one  in  his  dream:  — 

"  My  Son,  you  are  poor,  and  Mother  Earth  has 
taken  pity  on  you,  and  has  given  me  to  you.  I  am 
your  Mud  Pony." 

Then  the  boy  was  filled  with  joy,  and  rubbed 


214       THE  RED  INDIAN  FAIRY  BOOK 

the  pony  down,  and  was  very  proud  of  it.  Just 
as  he  was  going  to  lead  it  back  to  the  corral,  the 
Pony  said :  — 

11  My  Son,  you  must  do  all  I  tell  you  to  do,  and 
some  day  you  will  become  a  great  Chief.  Now, 
jump  on  my  back,  and  we  will  find  your  people. 
Do  not  try  to  guide  me,  for  I  know  where  to  go." 

The  boy,  delighted,  jumped  on  the  Pony's  back, 
and  away  they  went  swiftly  over  the  plain.  They 
travelled  all  that  day,  and  when  evening  was 
come,  they  reached  a  place  where  the  people  had 
camped  the  night  before.  But  they  had  all  gone  on 
farther. 

The  boy  jumped  down,  and  turned  the  Pony 
loose  to  graze,  but  it  would  not  eat.  It  only  said : 
"Do  not  mind  me.  Go  and  find  something  to  eat 
for  yourself."  So  the  boy  wandered  about  the 
deserted  camp,  picking  up  bits  of  food  the  people 
had  dropped.  When  his  hunger  was  satisfied,  he 
lay  down  and  went  to  sleep.  In  the  morning  he 
rose,  and  jumped  on  the  Pony,  and  away  they 
went  across  the  plain. 

In  the  evening,  the  same  thing  happened  as  be- 
fore ;  they  stopped  at  a  deserted  camp,  the  boy  ate 


THE  MUD  PONY  215 

and  slept,  and  in  the  morning  he  and  the  Pony- 
journeyed  on.  The  next  night,  they  reached  the 
camp  where  the  people  were  stopping.  Then  the 
Pony  said :  — 

"Leave  me  here  outside  the  camp,  and  go  to 
your  tepee,  and  wake  your  mother.  I  will  stay  here 
and  take  care  of  myself,  for  I  do  not  need  any- 
thing to  eat  and  drink,  because  I  am  a  part  of 
Mother  Earth.  All  I  need  is  a  blanket  to  keep  the 
dew  and  rain  off  me,  or  I  shall  melt.  To-morrow, 
when  the  people  break  camp,  stay  behind,  and  I 
will  be  ready  for  you." 

The  boy  entered  the  camp,  as  the  Pony  told 
him  to  do,  and  went  into  his  parents'  tepee.  He  sat 
down,  and  threw  some  dried  grass  on  the  coals  in 
the  fireplace,  and  the  flames  blazed  up.  Then  he 
went  to  his  mother's  bed,  and  woke  her,  saying, 
"  Mother,  here  lam!" 

His  mother  opened  her  eyes,  and  at  first  she 
thought  she  was  dreaming,  then  she  put  out  her 
hand  and  touched  him.  And  when  she  knew  it 
was  really  her  son,  she  rose  with  joy,  and  waked 
her  husband.  He  got  up,  too,  and  threw  logs  on 
the  fire,  and  ran  and  called  the  boy's  relations. 


216       THE   RED   INDIAN   FAIRY   BOOK 

They  came  crowding  in,  and  were  glad  to  see  him 
safe  and  well. 

The  next  morning  the  people  broke  camp,  and 
the  boy  told  them  to  go  on  without  him.  And 
they  did.  The  Pony  came,  and  the  boy  mounted 
on  its  back,  and  away  they  went  swiftly  across 
the  plain.  At  night  they  caught  up  with  the  peo- 
ple, and  the  Pony  stayed  outside  the  camp.  In 
the  morning  it  happened  as  before.  So  it  was  for 
four  days. 

On  the  fourth  night,  the  Pony  said:  "  My  Son, 
take  me  into  the  camp,  so  that  the  people  may 
see  what  a  nice  Pony  you  have.  The  Chief  will 
hear  about  me,  and  wish  to  buy  me.  He  will 
offer  you  several  horses.  Take  them,  and  let  him 
have  me  in  exchange.  But  he  will  not  keep  me 
long!" 

So  the  boy  rode  the  Pony  straight  into  the 
camp,  and  the  people  were  astonished  to  see  him 
on  its  back.  When  they  examined  it,  they  said : 
"Why,  it  looks  like  a  mud  pony,  such  as  boys 
smooth  down  with  their  fingers.  It  is  a  wonderful 
pony!" 

When  the  Chief  heard  about  it,  he  sent  for  the 


THE  MUD  PONY  217 

boy.  He  welcomed  him  respectfully  and  made 
him  sit  on  a  cushion.  Then  he  said :  — 

"  My  Son,  I  have  sent  for  you  to  eat  with  me. 
I  wish  to  tell  you  that  I  like  your  pony,  and  will 
give  you  four  of  my  best  horses  for  it." 

The  boy  replied:  "  I  have  listened  to  the  great 
Chief.  I  will  let  the  Chief  have  my  pony." 

The  Chief  was  pleased,  and  his  wife  filled  a 
wooden  bowl  with  dried  meat  and  soup ;  and  put 
two  horn  spoons  into  the  bowl.  She  set  this  be- 
fore her  husband  and  the  boy,  and  they  ate  to- 
gether. 

After  that  the  Chief  had  the  four  horses  caught, 
and  drove  them  to  the  boy's  tepee.  He  took  the 
Pony,  and  led  it  to  his  own  corral.  He  put  grass 
before  it,  but  it  would  not  eat.  He  piled  young 
cottonwood  boughs  before  it,  but  still  it  would 
not  eat. 

A  few  days  after,  scouts  came  riding  into  the 
camp,  and  they  said  that  a  great  herd  of  Buffalo 
was  near.  So  the  men  got  on  their  horses,  and 
rode  to  the  hunt,  and  the  Chief  went  with  them, 
mounted  on  the  Mud  Pony.  He  soon  far  out- 
stripped the  rest,  and  killed  many  Buffalo.  But  as 


21 8       THE  RED   INDIAN   FAIRY  BOOK 

he  was  riding  over  the  plain,  the  Pony  staggered 
and  nearly  fell.  Its  feet  had  become  unjointed,  and 
it  was  ruined. 

Then  the  Chief  was  terribly  angry,  and,  return- 
ing to  the  camp,  he  ordered  the  boy  to  give  him 
back  his  four  horses,  and  take  the  Pony.  The  boy 
was  delighted,  and  led  his  Mud  Pony  home.  In  a 
few  days  it  was  as  well  as  ever.  Then  the  Chief 
wished  to  have  it  back,  but  the  boy  would  not 
give  it  to  him  for  any  number  of  horses. 

Well,  from  that  day  on,  when  the  boy  went 
hunting,  mounted  on  the  Mud  Pony,  he  killed 
more  Buffalo  than  the  men  did.  And  when  he 
went  on  the  war-path,  no  one  could  hurt  him,  but 
he  always  conquered  the  enemy.  After  a  few  years 
he  became  a  great  Chief.  He  still  loved  his  Mud 
Pony  very  much,  and  tied  Eagle  feathers  on  its 
mane  and  tail,  and  covered  it  carefully  at  night 
with  a  warm  blanket. 

But  one  night,  he  forgot  to  cover  it,  and  he  had 
a  dream.  He  thought  that  the  Mud  Pony  came  to 
him  and  said :  "  My  Son,  you  are  no  longer  poor. 
My  doings  are  over.  I  am  returning  to  Mother 
Earth,  for  I  am  a  part  of  her." 


THE  MUD  PONY  219 

And  when  he  woke  in  the  morning,  he  found 
that  it  was  raining  hard.  He  got  up  and  ran  to 
the  corral  to  put  a  blanket  on  the  Pony,  but  he 
could  not  find  the  animal  anywhere.  Then  on  the 
side  of  the  hill,  he  saw  a  little  pile  of  mud,  still  in 
the  shape  of  a  pony.  And  when  he  saw  this,  he 
went  home  sorrowfully  to  his  tepee. 


THE  WISHES 

(Micmac) 

This  is  a  tale  of  the  old  time,  of  Glooskap,  the 
mighty  Magician,  who  came  from  the  Land  of  the 
Red  Sunrise,  sailing  over  the  seas  in  a  stone  canoe. 

Stately  and  handsome  was  the  Magician,  and 
very  brave;  and  when  he  reached  the  country 
of  the  Wabanaki,  he  found  it  filled  with  Witches, 
Giants,  Sorcerers,  and  Fiends.  He  pursued  and 
killed  all  these  evil  creatures,  so  that  the  Wabanaki 
dwelt  once  more  in  safety. 

Then  Glooskap,  ere  he  got  again  into  his  stone 
canoe  to  return  to  the  Land  of  the  Red  Sunrise, 
sent  his  faithful  messengers,  the  Loons,  to  all  the 
Indians.  And  his  message  was  that  before  he  de- 
parted he  would  grant  one  wish  to  every  brave 
who  visited  him  in  his  magic  lodge. 

Now  this  magic  lodge  in  which  Glooskap  dwelt 
was  on  a  great  island,  far  from  men,  and  the  way 
leading  to  it  was  filled  with  dangers  and  terrors. 

Many  braves  set  out  to  gain  their  wishes,  but 
perished.  At  last  three  Chiefs,  more  fortunate  than 


THE  WISHES  221 

the  others,  followed  the  long  trail  that  led  to  Gloos- 
kap's  lodge.  For  seven  years  they  travelled  on 
through  the  dangers  and  terrors,  until  at  last  they 
heard  the  barking  of  Glooskap's  Dogs.  And  so 
they  found  the  magic  lodge,  and  entered  it.  The 
great  Magician  welcomed  them,  and  his  younger 
brother,  Martin  the  Fairy,  placed  a  feast  before 
them.  So  they  ate  and  rested. 

Then  Glooskap,  addressing  the  eldest  Chief, 
bade  him  tell  his  wish. 

"My  needs  are  few,"  replied  the  man,  "but  I 
wish  to  be  a  great  hunter.  I  wish  to  excel  all  other 
men  in  catching  and  shooting  game.  Then  the 
aged,  the  women,  and  the  children  will  suffer  hun- 
ger no  more  during  the  long,  cold  winters  when 
the  Bear  sleeps  and  the  ice,  like  a  stone,  covers 
the  face  of  the  stream." 

At  this  Glooskap  smiled  and  gave  him  a  flute, 
saying :  "  Take  this  magic  pipe.  Its  music  will 
charm  the  ear  of  every  animal  that  hears  it  and  will 
force  the  creature  to  follow  you.  But  do  not  put 
the  pipe  to  your  mouth  until  you  reach  your  lodge." 

The  man  took  the  gift,  well  pleased,  and,  thank- 
ing Glooskap,  departed. 


222       THE  RED  INDIAN  FAIRY  BOOK 

Then  Glooskap  bade  the  second  Chief  tell  his 
wish. 

"  I  am  very  handsome,"  replied  the  young  man, 
"but  the  girls  of  the  tribes  do  not  think  so,  and 
I  have  never  won  a  wife.  I  wish  to  have  the 
admiration  of  every  woman  who  sees  me,  then 
I  can  choose  the  wife  I  most  desire." 

At  this  Glooskap  frowned,  but  he  gave  the  young 
man  a  small  bag  of  deerskin  tightly  tied.  "  Take 
this  bag,"  said  he.  "  Its  contents  will  make  every 
woman  who  looks  upon  you  desire  to  be  your 
wife.  But  do  not  open  the  bag  until  you  reach 
your  lodge." 

The  young  man  took  the  gift  with  delight,  and, 
thanking  Glooskap,  set  out  on  his  way. 

Then  Glooskap  bade  the  third  Chief  tell  his  wish. 

"  I  am  young  and  witty,"  the  Chief  replied, 
"but  when  I  relate  my  tales  before  the  lodge  fire 
the  people  never  laugh.  I  wish  always  to  be 
merry-hearted,  and  to  have  the  power  of  making 
old  and  young  laugh  loud  and  long." 

Again  Glooskap  frowned,  but  he  sent  Martin 
the  Fairy  to  seek  a  certain  magic  root  in  the 
woods.  When  Martin  brought  the  root,  Gloos- 


THE   WISHES  223 

leap  gave  it  to  the  Chief,  saying:  "After  you 
have  eaten  this,  your  mouth  will  utter  such  merry 
sounds  that  all  who  hear  will  laugh  loud  and 
long.  But  do  not  even  taste  the  root,  until  you 
have  reached  your  lodge." 

The  young  man  took  the  gift  with  joy,  and, 
thanking  Glooskap,  set  out  on  his  way. 

Now,  the  first  Chief,  the  hunter,  with  the  flute 
in  his  pocket,  hastened  home  well  content,  for  he 
knew  that  he  could  always  provide  food  for  the 
aged,  the  women,  and  the  children.  He  ran 
swiftly  along  the  trail,  and  though  it  had  taken 
seven  long  years  to  reach  Glooskap's  lodge,  it 
took  scarcely  seven  days  to  return  to  his  village. 
And  when  he  entered  his  own  lodge,  he  put 
the  flute  to  his  lips,  and  from  that  day  he  was  a 
great  hunter. 

But  the  second  Chief,  who  had  never  won  a 
wife,  did  not  go  far  along  the  trail  before  he  be- 
gan to  desire  exceedingly  to  see  what  was  in  the 
bag.  Carefully  he  untied  the  string,  and  there 
flew  forth  hundreds  of  beautiful  maidens,  like  a 
cloud  of  white  Doves.  With  sparkling  eyes  and 
flowing  hair  they  circled  about  his  head  singing 


224       THE  RED  INDIAN  FAIRY  BOOK 

sweetly.  Then  winding  their  arms  around  him, 
they  kissed  him  until  he  was  smothered.  And  so 
he  perished. 

As  for  the  third  Chief,  who  wished  to  make  all 
laugh  loud  and  long,  he  hastened  along  the  trail 
with  the  root  in  his  pocket.  Forgetting  what 
Glooskap  had  commanded  him,  he  drew  forth 
the  root  and,  putting  it  in  his  mouth,  ate  it.  Scarce 
had  he  done  so  when  wild  and  piercing  sounds 
came  from  his  lips.  But  he  walked  gayly  onward, 
thinking  to  make  all  who  heard  laugh  loud  and 
long.  The  animals  bounded  away  in  terror  be- 
fore him,  and  as  he  neared  his  village  the  people 
fled  with  shouts.  And  when  darkness  came,  an 
evil  Spirit  of  Night  swooped  down  and  bore  him 
away  to  its  hole,  and  he  was  never  seen  again 
among  men. 

Then  Glooskap,  the  mighty  Magician,  arose 
and  left  his  magic  lodge.  He  made  a  rich  feast 
by  the  shore,  and  invited  all  the  animals  to  it. 
After  which  he  entered  his  stone  canoe,  and, 
singing  sweetly,  sailed  away  over  the  seas,  from 
the  Country  of  the  Wabanaki  to  the  Land  of  the 
Red  Sunrise. 


THE  MIKUMWESS 

(Micmac) 

In  those  far-off  days,  before  Glooskap,  the  mighty 
Magician,  set  sail  in  his  stone  canoe  for  the  Land 
of  the  Red  Sunrise,  there  were  Fairies  and  Elves 
living  in  the  green  forests  of  the  Wabanaki.  Very 
wonderful  was  the  music  they  made  on  magic 
flutes  of  reed,  and  with  their  melody  they  could 
charm  men  and  beasts. 

When  these  Fairies  were  pleased  with  an  Indian 
brave  they  gave  him  a  magic  flute.  And  if  they 
grew  to  love  him,  they  made  him  a  Fairy  like 
themselves,  and  called  him  a  Mikumwess. 

Now,  in  those  far-off  days  there  dwelt  two 
youths  in  a  village  of  the  Wabanaki.  One,  whose 
name  was  Little  Thunder,  was  full  of  laughter 
and  song,  and  wished  greatly  to  meet  the  Fairies 
and  be  made  a  Mikumwess. 

The  other  youth,  who  was  called  the  Badger, 
loved  Brown  Fawn,  the  beautiful  daughter  of  a 
great  Chief  The  Badger  wished  to  have  her  for 
his  wife,  but  he  heard  that  her  father  was  a  cruel 


226       THE  RED  INDIAN  FAIRY  BOOK 

man,  and  set  such  difficult  tasks  for  his  daugh- 
ter's suitors,  that  they  all  perished  in  attempting 
them. 

One  day  a  Loon  came  to  the  village  of  the 
Wabanaki  where  dwelt  these  two  young  men.  It 
was  Glooskap's  messenger,  and  it  said  that  the 
mighty  Magician  had  promised  to  grant  one  wish 
to  each  Indian  youth  who  would  seek  his  magic 
lodge. 

When  Little  Thunder  and  the  Badger  heard 
this,  they  decked  themselves  with  their  choicest 
feathers,  and,  armed  with  strong  bows  and  ar- 
rows, they  set  out  along  the  trail  that  led  to 
Glooskap's  lodge.  Dangerous  was  this  trail,  and 
filled  with  terrors,  but  the  two  hastened  bravely 
on,  overcoming  all  in  their  way. 

For  seven  years  they  travelled,  until  at  last 
they  reached  the  lodge.  Glooskap,  smiling,  wel- 
comed them,  and  Martin  the  Fairy  set  food  and 
drink  before  them.  Then  Glooskap  asked  what 
they  most  desired. 

"  Make  me  a  Mikumwess,"  said  Little  Thun- 
der, "then  I  may  help  my  brother  the  Badger  to 
win  his  bride." 


THE  MIKUMWESS  227 

"All  I  desire  is  to  win  Brown  Fawn  for  my 
wife,"  replied  the  Badger,  "for  I  am  lonely  in 
my  lodge." 

Then  Glooskap  smiled  again,  and  he  wove  a 
magic  hair-string  in  Little  Thunder's  locks,  and 
the  young  man  became  a  Mikumwess  endowed 
with  Fairy  power.  After  this  Glooskap  gave  him 
a  magic  flute  of  reed  so  that  he  might  charm  all 
living  things. 

But  to  the  Badger,  Glooskap  said:  "The 
maiden  is  yours  to  win  with  the  aid  of  this  Mi- 
kumwess. Enter  my  stone  canoe,  and  sail  over 
the  seas  to  the  lodge  of  her  father.  Only  return 
the  canoe  to  me  when  your  adventure  is  over,  for 
never  before  did  I  lend  it  to  any  man." 

Then  Glooskap  took  the  two  youths  to  the  sea- 
shore, and  pointed  to  a  small  island  of  granite 
against  which  the  foaming  waves  were  beating.  It 
was  covered  with  high  Pines  around  whose  tops 
flew  many  white  Gulls.  "There  is  my  canoe,"  said 
he.   "Swim  thither  and  enter  it." 

So  the  two  young  men  threw  themselves  into 
the  water,  and  swam  out  to  the  island.  As  soon  as 
they  stepped  on  its  rocks,  the  island  turned  into 


228       THE  RED  INDIAN  FAIRY   BOOK 

a  large  stone  canoe,  and  the  Pine  Trees  became 
high  masts. 

Rejoicing,  the  Mikumwess  and  the  Badger  sailed 
away  across  the  seas.  They  sailed  for  many  days 
until  at  last  they  reached  the  land  where  was  the 
village  of  the  cruel  Chief. 

They  drew  the  stone  canoe  up  on  the  beach,  and 
hid  it  under  some  bushes.  Then  they  entered  the 
village  and  sought  the  lodge  of  the  Chief.  He  wel- 
comed them  gravely,  and  placed  them  in  the  seat 
of  honour.  After  which  he  asked  them  what  was 
their  errand. 

The  Mikumwess  answered :  "  This,  my  brother 
the  Badger,  is  tired  of  living  alone.  Give  him 
Brown  Fawn  to  follow  him  to  his  lodge." 

"  Brown  Fawn  may  go  with  him,"  answered  the 
Chief  courteously,  "  if  to-morrow  he  brings  me 
the  head  of  the  Yellow  Horned  Serpent  that 
dwells  in  the  great  cave  by  the  sea." 

To  this  the  young  men  agreed,  and  were  given 
a  lodge  to  sleep  in. 

When  the  night  was  very  dark,  the  Mikumwess 
arose,  and,  leaving  the  Badger  asleep,  went  alone 
to  the  great  cave  by  the  sea.   Across  its  entrance 


THE  MIKUMWESS  229 

he  laid  a  log,  and  then  began  to  dance  a  magic 
dance  before  it,  playing  on  his  Fairy  flute. 

When  the  Yellow  Horned  Serpent  heard  the 
strange  music,  he  was  charmed,  and  came  creep- 
ing out,  waving  his  head  from  side  to  side.  Then 
he  rested  his  head  on  the  log,  and  the  Mikumwess 
quickly  cut  it  off  with  his  hatchet. 

Taking  the  head  by  one  of  its  shiny  yellow 
horns,  he  carried  it  to  the  Badger.  And  when 
morning  was  come,  the  two  bore  the  head  and 
laid  it  before  the  Chief. 

And  when  the  old  man  saw  it,  he  was  astonished 
and  thought  to  himself,  "I  fear  I  shall  lose  my 
child ! " 

But  he  said  to  the  Badger,  "Young  man,  if  you 
wish  to  win  your  wife,  you  must  coast  down  yon- 
der hill  with  two  of  my  bravest  warriors." 

Now,  the  hill  was  really  a  very  high  mountain, 
its  sides  jagged  with  broken  rocks  and  terrible 
with  tree-roots  and  ice.  Two  sleds  were  brought 
and  taken  to  the  top  of  the  mountain;  and  the 
Mikumwess  and  the  Badger  were  placed  upon 
one,  and  on  the  other  were  seated  two  powerful 
Magicians.  At  a  word  from  the  Chief  the  two 


230       THE  RED   INDIAN   FAIRY   BOOK 

sleds  were  sent  flying  down  the  mountain-side. 
Faster  and  faster  they  flew  as  if  to  death. 

Soon  the  Badger  went  whirling  from  his  sled 
and  fell  on  the  ice,  and  the  Magicians  shouted 
with  delight;  but  they  did  not  know  that  the 
Mikumwess  had  done  this  so  that  he  might  get 
the  Magicians'  sled  in  front  of  him. 

The  Mikumwess  turned  aside,  and,  putting  out 
his  hand,  drew  the  Badger  on  the  sled,  and  as  he 
did  so,  the  Magicians  shot  by,  mocking  loudly. 
Then  the  Mikumwess's  sled  suddenly  bounded 
into  the  air  and  flew  over  the  heads  of  the  Ma- 
gicians, nor  did  it  stop  at  the  foot  of  the  mountain, 
but  sped  up  the  hill  opposite  and  struck  the  side 
of  the  Chief's  lodge,  ripping  it  from  end  to  end. 

And  when  the  old  man  saw  this,  he  thought  to 
himself,  "This  time  I  feel  sure  I  shall  lose  my 
child!" 

But  he  said  to  the  Badger:  "There  is  a  man 
in  this  village  who  has  never  been  beaten  at  run- 
ning. You  must  overcome  him,  if  you  wish  to 
win  your  wife." 

To  this  the  young  men  agreed,  and  went  to 
the  place  where  the  race  was  to  start.    And  the 


THE  MIKUMWESS  231 

Mikumwess  lent  his  magic  flute  to  the  Badger  to 
give  him  Fairy  power. 

And  when  the  racer  from  the  village  came,  the 
Badger  asked  him,  "  Who  are  you  ?  " 

And  the  racer  answered,  "  I  am  the  Northern 
Lights." 

"And  I,"  said  the  Badger,  "am  the  Chain 
Lightning." 

And  they  ran. 

In  an  instant  they  were  no  longer  to  be  seen, 
but  were  beyond  the  distant  hills.  And  the  Chief, 
with  the  Mikumwess  and  all  the  people,  sat  and 
waited  till  noon,  when  Chain  Lightning,  who  was 
the  Badger,  returned.  He  was  not  out  of  breath, 
nor  weary,  though  he  had  run  all  around  the 
world. 

But  Northern  Lights  came  not.  When  eve- 
ning drew  near  they  saw  him  come  quivering  and 
panting  with  fatigue,  yet  for  all  that  he  had  not 
been  around  the  world,  but  had  been  forced  to 
turn  back. 

And  when  the  old  man  saw  that  Chain  Light- 
ning had  won,  he  thought  to  himself,  "Alas!  This 
time  I  have  surely  lost  my  child ! " 


232       THE  RED  INDIAN  FAIRY  BOOK 

But  he  said  to  the  Badger,  "  To  win  your  wife, 
young  man,  you  must  overcome  a  great  warrior 
who  swims  and  dives  so  excellently  that  no  one 
has  ever  equalled  him." 

To  this  the  young  men  agreed,  and  the  next 
morning  they  went  to  the  seashore,  where  the 
test  was  to  be.  The  Mikumwess  again  lent  the 
Badger  his  fairy  flute. 

And  when  the  diver  from  the  village  came,  the 
Badger  asked  him,  "Who  are  you?" 

And  the  diver  replied,  "I  am  the  Sea  Duck." 

"And  I,"  said  the  Badger,  "am  the  Loon." 

So  they  dived. 

And  after  a  short  time  the  Sea  Duck  rose  for 
breath;  but  the  people  who  sat  there,  with  the 
Chief  and  the  Mikumwess,  had  long  to  wait  for 
the  Loon.  Hour  after  hour  passed,  but  he  came 
not.  At  last  he  rose  to  the  surface,  and  was  not 
out  of  breath. 

And  when  the  old  man  saw  this  he  groaned 
and  said,  "  Oh,  Badger,  I  have  lost  my  child !  " 

Then  the  wedding-feast  was  prepared,  and  the 
Chief  brought  Brown  Fawn  from  the  lodge  and 
gave  her  to  the  Badger.    And  in  the  evening 


THE  MIKUMWESS  233 

the  feast  was  held  and  a  great  dance;  and  the 
Mikumwess  astonished  all  who  saw  him,  for  he 
danced  a  deep  trench  in  the  ground  around  the 
lodge. 

And  when  the  morning  was  come  the  Mikum- 
wess, together  with  the  Badger  and  Brown  Fawn, 
entered  the  stone  canoe,  and  set  sail  for  the  coun- 
try of  the  Wabanaki.  And  when  they  reached 
the  shore  they  found  Glooskap,  the  mighty  Ma- 
gician, waiting  for  them. 

And,  smiling,  he  said  to  the  Mikumwess,  "Go 
your  way  in  the  forest  and  join  the  band  of 
Fairies,  and  be  always  happy  with  your  magic 
flute." 

Then  to  the  Badger  he  said :  "  Welcome  once 
more  to  the  Land  of  the  Children  of  Light.  Take 
your  wife,  Brown  Fawn,  and  return  to  your  lodge. 
Plenty  of  game  shall  always  be  yours,  and  peace 
and  contentment." 

Then  the  Mikumwess  disappeared  in  the  forest ; 
and  the  Badger,  leading  Brown  Fawn,  returned 
to  his  lodge  in  the  village  of  the  Wabanaki. 


THE  FIRST  PINE  TREES 

(Micmac) 

This  is  another  tale  of  the  old  time,  before  Gloos- 
kap,  the  mighty  Magician,  set  sail  in  his  stone 
canoe  for  the  Land  of  the  Red  Sunrise. 

There  were  three  brothers  dwelling  together. 
And  when  they  heard  that  Glooskap  had  promised 
to  fulfil  the  wish  of  any  warrior  who  reached  his 
magic  lodge,  they  decided  to  brave  the  dangers 
in  the  way. 

The  first  brother  was  very  tall,  far  above  all  his 
fellows,  and  vain  of  his  height.  To  make  himself 
look  even  taller,  he  put  bark  in  his  moccasins,  and 
plastered  his  hair  to  stand  high,  and  on  the  very 
top  he  stuck  a  long  Turkey  feather.  But  he  wished 
to  be  taller  yet,  so  that  all  the  squaws  would  ad- 
mire him. 

The  second  brother  wished  that  he  might  re- 
main forever  in  the  forest,  beholding  its  beauty, 
and  that  he  need  never  work  again. 

The  third  brother  wished  to  live  to  a  very  old 
age,  and  always  to  be  in  perfect  health. 


THE  FIRST  PINE  TREES  235 

So  the  three  brothers  started  on  their  way  along 
the  dangerous  trail  that  led  to  Glooskap's  lodge. 
They  came  to  an  exceedingly  high  mountain  in  a 
dark  and  lonely  land.  The  side  of  the  mountain 
was  as  smooth  as  iron,  and  the  other  side  was 
worse,  for  there  the  trail  led  between  the  heads  of 
two  huge  Serpents,  who  darted  out  their  fearful 
tongues.  After  that,  the  trail  passed  under  the 
Wall  of  Death  which  hung  over  it  like  a  cloud, 
rising,  and  falling,  and  rising  again.  And  if  it  hap- 
pened that  any  man  passed  beneath  the  cloud  as 
it  fell,  he  was  crushed  to  death. 

But  the  three  brothers  escaped  all  these  perils 
of  the  trail,  and  came  to  the  island  where  Gloos- 
kap  dwelt.  The  mighty  Magician  welcomed  them, 
and  bade  his  younger  brother,  Martin  the  Fairy, 
place  food  before  them.  And  after  they  had  eaten 
and  were  refreshed,  they  told  their  wishes. 

Now,  in  another  lodge  near  by  lived  Cuhkw  the 
Earthquake.  He  could  pass  along  the  face  of  the 
land,  and  make  all  things  shake  with  terror.  Gloos- 
kap  called  Cuhkw,  and  bade  him  take  the  three 
brothers,  and  plant  them  with  their  feet  in  the 
ground.  Immediately  Cuhkw  came  rushing  from 


236       THE  RED  INDIAN  FAIRY  BOOK 

his  lodge,  and,  seizing  the  three,  planted  them  in 
the  forest.  And  they  became  three  straight  Pine 
Trees. 

The  first  brother,  who  wished  to  be  exceedingly 
tall,  was  the  highest  Pine  Tree  on  earth.  His 
head  rose  above  the  forest  and  the  wind  whistled 
through  his  boughs.  And  to-day  his  Turkey 
feather  may  be  seen  waving  in  the  air. 

The  second  brother,  who  wished  to  remain  in 
the  forest,  and  admire  its  beauty  without  working, 
could  never  leave  it  again ;  because  his  roots  were 
fastened  deep  in  the  ground. 

The  third  brother,  who  wished  to  live  to  a  very 
old  age,  in  perfect  health,  gained  his  desire.  To- 
day he  stands  hale  and  hearty  in  the  forest,  unless 
men  have  cut  him  down. 

And  if  you  go  into  the  forest,  you  may  see  the 
tallest  Pine  Tree  with  his  Turkey  feather  waving 
in  the  wind ;  and  the  Tree  murmurs  all  day  long, 
in  the  Indian  tongue :  — 

"Oh!  I  am  such  a  great  Indian!  — 
Oh!  I  am  such  a  tall  man!" 


THE  HIDDEN  WATERS 

[Iroquois) 

It  was  Winter,  and  the  snow  lay  thick  and  white 
on  the  ground,  while  the  cold  wind  blew  from  the 
north.  In  a  village  of  the  Iroquois  there  was  sick- 
ness and  little  food.  In  the  lodge  of  the  handsome 
young  brave  Nekumonta,  his  wife,  the  gentle 
Shanewis,  lay  fading  away.  And  when  Neku- 
monta saw  her  suffering,  his  heart  rilled  with  grief. 

"Surely,"  he  cried,  "I  must  find  the  Healing 
Herbs  the  good  Manitou  has  planted !  Even  if 
they  lie  hidden  under  the  snow,  I  must  search  and 
find  them!"  So  he  covered  his  wife  with  warm 
furs,  and  placed  what  food  he  had  beside  her. 
Then,  taking  his  staff  and  his  snowshoes,  he  bade 
her  good-bye,  and  set  out  on  his  search. 

All  day  long  he  wandered  eagerly  through  the 
forest,  skimming  over  the  shining  white  surface. 
And  though  he  sought  everywhere,  he  could  not 
find  the  Healing  Herbs.  The  snow  lay  deep  on 
the  ground,  and  with  a  soft  mantle  covered  trees 
and  bushes.  Not  even  the  tiniest   leaf  showed 


238       THE  RED  INDIAN  FAIRY  BOOK 

above  the  white  covering.  Thus  for  three  days 
and  two  nights  he  wandered  vainly  through  the 
forest. 

A  small,  grey  Rabbit  crossed  his  path,  and  he 
cried,  "  My  little  Brother,  tell  me  where  the  Heal- 
ing Herbs  are  that  the  good  Manitou  has  planted !  " 

But  the  Rabbit  did  not  answer.  It  only  scur- 
ried away,  for  it  knew  that  the  Herbs  were  still 
in  the  Winter  ground,  and  it  was  sorry  for  Neku- 
monta. 

Then  he  passed  by  the  den  of  a  Bear,  and 
stopped  at  the  entrance.  "  My  brown  Brother," 
said  he,  "tell  me  where  the  Healing  Herbs  are 
that  the  good  Manitou  has  planted !" 

But  the  Bear  did  not  answer,  for  it  was  asleep, 
waiting  for  the  Springtime  to  come. 

Then  he  called  to  the  Deer,  as  it  came  leaping 
through  the  forest,  "  My  swift  Brother,  surely  you 
know  where  the  Healing  Herbs  are  that  the  good 
Manitou  has  planted! " 

But  the  Deer  did  not  answer,  and  went  bound- 
ing away,  for  it  knew  that  the  wind  blew  too  cold 
for  the  little  Herbs  to  come  up. 

So  Nekumonta  called  to  the  Squirrel  and  the 


THE  HIDDEN  WATERS  239 

Winter  Birds,  and  to  all  the  other  forest  creatures, 
but  they  gave  him  no  answer. 

And  when  the  third  night  was  come,  he  was 
weary  and  weak,  for  he  had  eaten  no  food.  De- 
spairing, he  sank  down  upon  the  soft  breast  of 
the  snow,  and  soon  fell  asleep.  The  Deer  saw 
him  and  gave  the  forest  cry.  Then  from  the 
bushes  the  wild  creatures  came  quietly  creeping, 
to  watch  over  Nekumonta.  With  their  warm 
breath  and  thick  fur  they  sheltered  him  from  the 
cold,  so  he  slept  in  safety.  For  the  animals  re- 
membered his  kindness.  He  had  never  slain  a 
creature  except  for  food  or  clothes,  and  he  loved 
the  trees  and  flowers. 

And  while  Nekumonta  lay  there  sleeping,  he 
dreamed  that  he  heard  sweet  voices  calling.  They 
sounded  like  the  murmurs  of  distant  waters,  and 
they  whispered  his  name,  and  sighed :  — 

"  Seek  us,  oh,  seek  us,  Nekumonta! 
When  you  find  us,  Shanewis  will  live! 
We  are  the  Healing  Waters, 
The  Gift  of  Manitou!" 

Then  Nekumonta  awoke,  and  rose  to  his  feet. 
The  animals  were  gone,   for  they  had  slipped 


240       THE  RED  INDIAN  FAIRY  BOOK 

away  into  the  forest.  No  waters  were  to  be  seen, 
but  the  sound  of  their  murmurings  still  fell  on  his 
ear.  "Release  us,"  they  seemed  to  sigh,  " release 
us,  Nekumonta,  and  Shanewis  will  be  saved!" 

The  murmurings  seemed  to  come  from  the 
ground  under  his  feet,  so  he  took  his  staff  and 
dug  through  the  snow  and  into  the  earth.  Then 
a  hidden  spring  was  disclosed,  and  gushed  from 
the  ground.  Its  waters  went  singing  joyously 
down  a  steep  hillside  to  the  valley  of  the  Iro- 
quois below.  And  wherever  they  passed  the 
snow  melted,  and  the  green  grass  and  flowers 
sprang  up. 

With  thanks  in  his  heart,  Nekumonta  made  a 
jar  of  clay,  and  filling  it  from  the  spring,  sped 
swiftly  away  to  his  lodge.  He  poured  the  Heal- 
ing Waters  through  Shanewis's  pale  lips,  and  she 
fell  into  a  health-giving  slumber. 

So  the  gentle  Shanewis  was  saved,  and  the 
Healing  Waters  brought  joy  and  Springtime  to 
the  village  of  the  Iroquois. 


JANUARY  THE  COLD  MONTH 


JOWIIS  AND  THE  EAGLES 

[Iroquois) 

One  day  in  the  long  time  ago,  Jowiis,  an  Indian 
lad,  was  hunting  in  the  woods.  It  was  cold  and 
rainy  weather,  and  the  floods  had  wiped  out  all 
the  trails.  There  was  no  Sun  or  Moon  in  the 
black  Sky  to  guide  him,  and  soon  he  lost  his 
way.  So  he  wandered  for  days,  until  hungry  and 
faint,  he  fell  upon  a  river-bank  to  die. 


244       THE  RED  INDIAN  FAIRY  BOOK 

Then  Donyondo,  the  Bald  Eagle,  swift  of  flight 
and  keen  of  eye,  saw  the  lad  lying  on  the  bank. 
Though  the  bird  was  proud,  his  heart  throbbed 
with  pity  at  the  sight  of  the  dying  Jowiis.  Drop- 
ping down,  and  lifting  him,  he  flew  away  to  search 
for  an  Indian  village.  As  he  looked  down  toward 
the  Earth  he  discovered  smoke  rising  from  some 
lodges.  Alighting  near  them,  he  laid  Jowiis  on 
the  ground,  and  slowly  -winged  away. 

But  the  rain  was  still  falling,  and  no  one  saw 
the  dying  boy.  Then  Sagodaoh,  the  Hunting 
Vulture,  as  he  flew  close  to  the  Earth  looking  for 
prey,  saw  and  pitied  Jowiis.  The  bird's  heart  was 
tender  and  his  talons  strong,  and  he  gently  lifted 
the  lad,  and  soared  with  him  into  the  Land  of  the 
Sky  Birds.  And  he  carried  him  to  the  lodge  of 
Gadojih,  the  Golden  Eagle,  who  was  the  Chief 
of  all  the  birds. 

Gadojih  gave  Jowiis  food  and  warmed  his  body, 
and  grew  to  love  him.  And  when  the  lad  was 
restored  to  health,  Gadojih  took  him  to  the  Coun- 
cil House  of  the  Sky  where  all  the  birds  were 
celebrating  the  New  Year  feast. 

They  taught  Jowiis  their  dances,  and  the  bird- 


JOWIIS  AND  THE  EAGLES  245 

songs,  and  they  instructed  him  in  the  laws  of  the 
birds  —  how  to  protect  them  in  nesting- time,  how 
to  shelter  and  feed  them  during  the  cold  Winter 
when  the  snow  lies  deep  on  the  ground.  All  this 
they  taught  Jowiis  while  the  Seven  Star  Brothers 
danced  their  New  Year  Dance  above  the  Council 
House  of  the  Sky.  And  after  that  Gadojih,  the 
Golden  Eagle,  bade  Sagadaoh,  the  Hunting  Vul- 
ture, return  Jowiis  to  the  Earth.  And  the  lad 
nestled  close  under  the  wing  of  the  bird  while  it 
flew  swiftly  downward. 

Earth  was  sleeping  beneath  her  snow  blanket 
when  Jowiis  returned.  Her  streams  were  frozen, 
and  her  forests  silent,  except  for  the  shrill  voice 
of  the  wind  as  it  moaned  through  the  bare 
branches.  And  the  Indians  were  holding  a  feast 
in  their  Council  House,  when  Jowiis  entered  it. 

They  welcomed  him  with  joy,  and  he  told  them 
all  his  adventures.  Then  he  taught  them  the 
dances  of  the  birds  and  all  their  laws.  And  while 
the  white  snow  lay  deep  upon  the  earth,  Jowiis  and 
the  Indian  lads  daily  scattered  corn  and  grains 
for  the  hungry  birds.  And  when  Summer  came, 
Jowiis  sang  the  joyous  bird-songs  in  the  forest. 


SHINGEBISS 

(Chippewa) 

Once  Shingebiss,  the  Wild  Duck,  lived  alone  in 
a  little  lodge  by  the  side  of  a  bay.  It  was  cold 
Winter  weather,  and  the  ice  lay  thick  on  the  water. 
But  Shingebiss  did  not  fear  the  cold,  for  his  lodge 
was  snug  and  warm,  and  his  fire  burned  bright. 
He  had  four  big  logs,  each  of  which  would  burn 
for  a  month. 

So  Shingebiss  was  hardy  and  happy,  and  no 
matter  how  bad  the  weather  was,  he  went  each 
day  out  on  the  ice,  and,  pulling  up  the  rushes  with 
his  bill,  dived  through  the  hole  he  had  made.  Thus 
he  caught  many  Fish,  and  got  plenty  of  food. 

One  day  the  Northwest  Wind  came  blustering 
from  the  Northland.  He  blew  over  the  Earth,  and 
at  the  touch  of  his  icy  breath  the  forest  creatures 
shivered  and  crept  into  their  holes.  Then  he  blew 
across  the  bay,  and  around  the  lodge  of  Shinge- 
biss. But  the  little  Wild  Duck  did  not  care.  He 
went  out  on  the  ice  just  the  same,  and  pulling  up 
the  rushes,  dived  down  and  fished.  And  as  he 


SHINGEBISS  247 

dragged  a  string  of  Fish  to  his  warm  lodge,  he 
sang :  — 

"  O  Northwest  Wind,  I  know  your  plan! 
You  are  but  my  fellow-man! " 

"Hi!  Ho!"  said  the  Northwest  Wind;  "but 
this  is  a  brave  Duck !  He  does  not  seem  to  mind 
the  cold.  But  I  '11  blow  my  hardest  and  freeze  his 
blood." 

So  he  blew  ten  times  colder  blasts,  and  piled 
up  the  drifting  snow,  and  filled  the  air  with  ice- 
needles  that  stung  the  face. 

But  Shingebiss  did  not  mind  it  at  all,  and  he 
searched  the  ice  for  more  rushes,  and,  diving 
through  the  hole,  caught  many  Fish.  Then,  as  he 
went  home  dragging  a  bigger  string  than  usual, 
he  sang :  — 

11  Blow  you  may,  your  coldest  breeze, 
Shingebiss  you  cannot  freeze! " 

"  Hi !  Ho  ! "  said  the  Northwest  Wind ;  "  I  will 
visit  his  lodge,  and  freeze  his  fire."  So  he  went  to 
the  door  of  Shingebiss's  lodge,  and  blew  a  terrible 
blast  straight  through  it. 

But  Shingebiss  only  stirred  his  fire  the  more, 


248       THE  RED  INDIAN  FAIRY  BOOK 

and  the  flames  sprang  up  and  cooked  his  Fish, 
and  made  the  lodge  warmer.  And  as  he  did  so, 
he  sang :  — 

"Sweep  the  strongest  wind  you  can, 
Shingebiss  is  still  your  man!  " 

Then  the  Northwest  Wind  grew  very  angry, 
and,  entering  the  lodge,  sat  down  and  blew  into 
the  fire. 

But  Shingebiss  stirred  it  again,  and  the  flames 
leaped  up  and  roared,  and  threw  out  a  fearful  heat. 
And  as  he  did  so,  he  sang :  — 

"  Hi!  for  life!  And  ho!  for  bliss! 
Who  so  free  as  Shingebiss!" 

The  tears  began  to  flow  down  the  cheeks  of  the 
Northwest  Wind,  and  he  felt  that  he  was  melting 
away.  "Hi!  Ho!  "  said  he;  "I  can't  stand  this!  " 
So  he  flew  out  of  the  door.  In  a  great  rage  he 
rushed  over  the  bay,  and  made  the  ice  thicker  and 
piled  the  snow  higher. 

But  all  the  happier  was  Shingebiss !  He 
searched  the  ice  for  rushes,  and  dived  and  fished. 
And  as  he  went  back  to  his  snug,  warm  lodge,  he 
sang :  — 


SHINGEBISS  249 

11  Northwest  Wind,  I  know  your  plan! 
You  are  but  my  fellow-man! 
Blow  you  may,  your  coldest  breeze, 
Shingebiss  you  cannot  freeze. 
Sweep  the  strongest  wind  you  can, 
Shingebiss  is  still  your  man. 
Hi!  for  life!  and  ho!  for  bliss! 
Who  so  free  as  Shingebiss!" 

"Hi!  Ho!"  said  the  Northwest  Wind;  "he 
certainly  is  a  wonderful  Duck !  I  cannot  freeze 
nor  starve  him;  so  I'll  let  him  alone."  And  he 
rushed  blustering  back  to  his  home  in  the  North- 
land. 


THE  BOY  IN  THE  JUG 

(Hopi) 

Once,  long  ago,  in  a  Hopi  village,  a  beautiful 
maiden  lived  with  her  old  father.  They  had  no 
one  to  hunt  for  them,  or  provide  them  with  food, 
so  the  good  people  of  the  tribe  gave  them  what 
they  could  spare. 

One  day  the  maiden  saw  the  women  making 
earthen  jugs,  and  she  said  to  herself,  "  I  will  make 
one  too."  So  she  took  some  clay,  and  kneaded 
it,  and  shaped  it  into  a  beautiful  jug  with  two 
handles.  Then  she  put  it  to  bake.  But  when  she 
went  to  fetch  it  home,  she  heard  something  cry 
inside  it.  She  looked  in,  and  what  did  she  see  but 
a  little  boy  no  bigger  than  her  thumb. 

She  tried  to  take  him  out  of  the  jug,  but  it  was 
a  magic  one,  and  she  could  not  do  so.  She  took 
the  boy  in  the  jug  home,  and  fed  him  on  bits  of 
food,  and  made  him  some  pretty  little  clothes,  say- 
ing, "  Now  I  am  your  mother,  and  my  old  father 
is  your  grandfather." 

The  days  passed  and  the  boy  grew  bigger  until 


THE  BOY  IN  THE  JUG  251 

his  head  reached  the  top  of  the  jug,  and  when  he 
wished  to  move  about  the  house,  he  spun  the  jug 
around  and  around,  and  that  is  the  way  he  walked. 

Well,  a  Winter  came  when  it  was  very  cold, 
and  the  people  had  nothing  to  eat.  So  the  young 
men  of  the  tribe  took  their  bows  and  arrows  and 
started  out  to  hunt.  When  the  boy  saw  this,  he 
said  to  his  grandfather,  "Give  me  a  bow  and  ar- 
rows, for  I  want  to  hunt." 

So  his  grandfather  made  him  a  fine  red  bow, 
and  tied  bright  feathers  to  the  arrows,  and  fas- 
tened them  to  the  handles  of  the  jug.  Then  he 
lifted  up  the  boy  in  the  jug,  and  carrying  him  out- 
side the  village,  set  him  on  the  ground.  "Now 
you  may  hunt,"  said  he,  "and  you  will  soon  see 
many  Rabbit  tracks." 

The  boy  began  to  spin  his  jug,  and  he  spun  so 
fast  that  he  left  his  grandfather  far  behind.  Sure 
enough,  in  a  little  while  he  saw  some  tracks,  and 
there  was  a  Rabbit  running  away.  The  boy  spun 
his  jug  harder,  and  it  moved  so  fast  that  its  mouth 
whistled  like  the  wind. 

Soon  the  boy  in  the  jug  caught  up  with  the 
Rabbit,  and  the  little  creature,  springing  into  the 


252       THE  RED  INDIAN   FAIRY  BOOK 

air,  leaped  into  a  bush.  The  jug,  also,  rose  in  the 
air,  to  spring  into  the  bush,  but  fell  to  the  ground 
with  a  crash.  It  split  in  two,  and  out  bounced  the 
boy  —  a  full-grown  Hopi  lad  ! 

He  unfastened  the  bow  and  arrows  from  the 
handles  of  the  jug,  and  following  the  Rabbit,  killed 
it.  Then  he  shot  a  dozen  more,  and  tying  them 
together,  carried  them  back  to  the  village. 

When  his  mother  saw  him  coming,  she  could 
not  believe  her  eyes  for  joy.  She  ran  out  to  meet 
him,  and  took  the  Rabbits,  saying,  "  Now  that  I 
have  this  full-grown  son,  I  shall  never  be  hungry 
again!" 

The  grandfather,  too,  came  hurrying  to  the 
door,  as  fast  as  his  old  legs  could  carry  him.  And 
when  he  saw  the  Rabbits,  he  said:  "Thank  you, 
thank  you !  Now  you  may  hunt  with  the  young 
men,  and  your  mother  and  I  will  be  glad !  " 

So  after  that,  the  boy  hunted  with  the  others, 
and  his  mother  and  his  old  grandfather  always 
had  plenty  to  eat. 


THE  BROTHER  AND  SISTER 

(Arapaho) 

There  were  three  streams  all  flowing  east,  and 
near  them  a  tribe  of  Indians  was  camping.  A 
brother  and  sister  were  playing  at  a  distance  from 
the  camp,  and  a  Chief  passed  by  them.  The  chil- 
dren called  him  saucy  names  and  he  was  very 
angry.  Going  to  the  camp  he  bade  all  the  people 
pack  up,  and  move  to  another  camping-ground. 
Before  moving  away,  the  people  took  the  two 
children  who  had  been  saucy  to  the  Chief,  and 
tied  them  each  to  a  pole.  They  leaned  the  poles 
against  some  trees,  and  leaving  the  children  to 
die,  they  took  their  goods,  and  went  to  another 
place. 

Well,  the  poor  children  suffered  hunger  and 
thirst,  and  wept  bitterly.  At  last  an  old  Wolf,  the 
Chief  of  all  the  Wolves,  saw  them,  and  he  said  to 
himself,  "How  pitiful  these  children  are!"  Then 
he  cried  out  to  the  pack,  "Come,  all  ye  Wolves, 
from  all  directions  !  " 

In  a  minute  Wolves  and  Coyotes  came  running 


254       THE  RED  INDIAN  FAIRY  BOOK 

from  every  part  of  the  Earth,  and  the  old  Wolf 
said  to  them :  — 

"  I  pity  these  children.  Seize  the  poles  and 
lower  them  slowly.  Then  chew  off  the  ropes  and 
free  the  children." 

The  Wolves  and  the  Coyotes  did  as  he  told 
them  to  do,  and  loosed  the  children.  But  when 
the  boy  and  girl  saw  all  the  wild  animals  running 
about  them,  they  were  terribly  frightened,  for  they 
thought  that  they  would  surely  be  eaten.  But  the 
old  Wolf  said :  — 

11  Do  not  be  afraid  !  Stay  with  us,  and  we  will 
care  for  you."  After  that  he  called  four  big 
Wolves  from  the  pack,  and  said:  "You,  Clouded 
Wolf,  who  are  above  all  others  in  daring  deeds, 
provide  food  for  this  boy  and  girl.  White  Wolf,  I 
want  you  also  to  look  for  food  for  them.  Black 
Coyote,  go  out  and  find  meat.  And  you  also, 
Black  Wolf,  who  are  brave  and  cunning,  provide 
meat  for  them." 

Immediately  the  four  big  Wolves  ran  away, 
and  soon  came  back  laden  with  the  best  parts  of 
a  Buffalo ;  and  piled  all  the  meat  in  front  of  the 
children. 


THE  BROTHER  AND  SISTER  255 

The  brother  and  sister  ate,  and  were  made 
strong  again.  Then  the  old  Wolf  told  them  to 
go  into  the  timber  near  by,  and  live  there ;  and 
he  said  that  he  would  stay  with  them. 

It  was  now  Winter.  The  boy  got  together  some 
poles  and  made  a  frame  for  a  brush  house ;  while 
his  sister  gathered  long  reeds,  and  with  them 
thatched  the  house.  She  made  a  door  of  brush 
and  sticks,  and  inside  she  put  brush  for  two 
beds.  They  then  made  a  nice  comfortable  bed 
near  the  door  where  the  old  Wolf  might  sleep. 

When  the  house  was  finished,  it  began  to 
snow.  They  all  went  in,  and  the  old  Wolf  said, 
11 1  am  feeble,  and  suffer  much  from  cold.  I  have 
no  strength,  no  swiftness,  no  warmth.  If  it  were 
not  for  your  kindness  I  should  be  out  in  the 
snow.  Therefore  I  thank  you  for  letting  me  live 
with  you  in  this  comfortable  house." 

So  that  night  the  Wolf  slept  by  the  door,  the 
girl  slept  on  the  north  side  of  the  house,  and  the 
boy  at  the  back. 

Well,  in  the  morning  the  boy  was  the  first  to 
get  up  to  make  the  fire ;  and  he  looked  out,  and 
the  snow  was  over  all  the  land.    And  what  was 


256       THE  RED   INDIAN  FAIRY  BOOK 

his  surprise  to  see  great  herds  of  Elk  near  by. 
The  whole  snow  was  yellow  with  them  as  far  as 
he  could  see.  In  the  timber,  on  the  banks  of  the 
rivers,  and  everywhere,  the  Elk  were  standing, 
walking,  or  lying  down. 

The  boy  shut  the  door  quickly,  and  said  to  his 
sister,  "  Get  up !  There  are  herds  of  Elk  close  by." 

"Why  should  I  get  up?"  said  she;  "I  can't 
do  anything." 

But  the  boy  answered,  "Just  get  up  and  look 
at  them  anyway." 

11 1  can't  do  anything  by  looking  at  them,"  said 
she. 

"My  Grandchild,"  called  the  old  Wolf,  "get 
up  and  look  at  the  Elk." 

So  she  rose,  and  opened  the  door;  and  as 
soon  as  she  looked  at  an  Elk,  it  fell  down  dead. 
Then  she  gave  her  brother  a  flint  knife  with  a 
bone  handle,  and  he  ran  out  into  the  snow,  and 
skinned  the  Elk  as  easily  as  if  he  had  always 
known  how  to  do  it. 

As  soon  as  he  had  skinned  the  animal,  he  threw 
its  hide  into  the  house,  and  the  girl  folded  it  three 
times,  and  sat  on  it.    Immediately  the  hide  be- 


THE  BROTHER  AND  SISTER  257 

came  a  soft  and  beautiful  skin,  all  dressed  ready 
for  use.  Then  the  girl  looked  at  more  Elk,  and 
they  fell  down  dead ;  and  the  boy  skinned  them ; 
and  so  she  did  until  they  had  thirty-six  skins. 
They  next  sliced  the  meat,  and  hung  it  to  dry 
on  the  trees  near  the  three  streams. 

After  that  the  girl  took  some  of  the  thirty-six 
skins,  and  piling  them  one  on  the  other,  she  sat 
on  them,  saying,  "  I  wish  that  all  these  skins  may 
be  sewed  together  for  a  tent."  And  when  she 
got  up,  and  spread  them  out,  they  had  become 
a  tent  with  a  bird  ornament  on  top,  and  four 
round  ornaments  on  the  sides,  and  rattles  over 
the  door. 

Then  the  girl  said,  "  I  wish  for  twenty-nine 
straight  tent  poles."  And  when  she  went  outside, 
there  were  the  tent  poles  made  of  otter-weeds. 
Soon  the  tent  stood  covered,  and  was  very  hand- 
some. 

Then  the  girl  folded  three  skins,  and  sat  on 
them,  saying,  "  I  wish  for  a  wall-hanging  em- 
broidered with  Porcupine  quills  of  every  colour." 
And  it  was  so,  for  when  she  got  up  the  Elk 
skins  were   changed  into  a  beautiful  hanging, 


258       THE  RED   INDIAN  FAIRY  BOOK 

which  she  fastened  behind  her  brother's  bed. 
Then  she  folded  three  more  skins,  and  sat  on 
them,  and  wished  for  an  embroidered  hanging 
for  her  bed,  and  she  got  it.  After  that  she  did 
the  same  to  more  skins,  and  wished  for  an  em- 
broidered and  ornamented  blanket,  and  she  gave 
that  to  the  old  Wolf. 

Well,  after  seven  days  it  snowed  again,  and 
when  the  boy  got  up  to  make  the  fire,  he  looked 
out  and  saw  the  snow  over  all  the  land.  And 
what  was  his  surprise  to  see  great  herds  of  Buffalo 
near  by.    The  whole  snow  was  black  with  them. 

He  waked  his  sister,  and  bade  her  get  up,  but 
she  said:  "What  can  I  do?  You  have  broken 
my  sleep.    Let  me  sleep  longer." 

"  My  Grandchild,"  called  the  old  Wolf,  "  get  up 
and  look  at  the  Buffalo." 

So  she  rose,  and  opened  the  door,  and  as  soon 
as  she  looked  at  some  of  the  Buffalo,  they  fell 
down  dead.  The  boy  skinned  the  animals,  and 
brought  in  their  hides.  The  girl  took  one,  and 
folded  it  three  times,  saying,  "  I  wish  this  to 
become  a  robe  with  bird  ornaments."  Then  it 
became  an  embroidered  robe,  and  she  gave  it  to 


THE  BROTHER  AND   SISTER  259 

her  brother.  Then  she  took  another  skin  and 
did  the  same,  saying,  "  I  wish  this  to  be  a  painted 
robe  for  myself."  And  it  turned  into  a  robe ;  and 
when  she  spread  it  out  the  painting  was  seen 
bright  and  beautiful.  Then  she  took  another  skin, 
and,  in  the  same  manner,  made  it  a  robe  with  red 
and  yellow  embroidery  at  the  four  corners,  and 
eight  lines  of  embroidery  across  it,  and  between 
them  black  lines  painted  with  charcoal.  This  she 
gave  to  the  old  Wolf. 

After  that  she  made  three  pillows  for  the  beds. 
On  the  one  for  her  brother  was  the  picture  of  an 
animal  embroidered  in  yellow  quills.  The  eye 
was  dark  with  yellow  quills  around  it.  On  the 
throat  were  a  hundred  bars  of  yellow  quills.  The 
ear  was  a  yellow  cross  of  quill-work.  The  head 
was  round,  and  the  tail  and  nose  were  bars  of 
yellow  quills.  All  around  the  edge  of  the  pillow 
were  fifty  bars  of  yellow  quills.  The  pillow  for 
the  girl  was  white,  embroidered  with  an  animal 
made  of  black  and  white  bars  of  quill-work; 
while  the  pillow  for  the  old  Wolf  was  very  beau- 
tiful, embroidered  with  red  and  yellow  quills. 

Well,  after  seven  days  it  snowed  again,  and 


260       THE  RED  INDIAN  FAIRY  BOOK 

when  the  boy  got  up  in  the  morning  to  make  the 
fire,  he  looked  out  and  saw  the  snow  covering 
the  land.  And  what  was  his  surprise  to  see  more 
herds  of  Elk  near  by.  The  snow  was  yellow 
with  them.  He  called  his  sister,  and  the  old  Wolf 
bade  her  rise  and  look  at  the  animals,  and  she 
did.  Immediately  some  of  them  fell  down  dead. 
Then  as  before,  the  girl  folded,  and  sat  on  their 
skins,  and  wished  for  a  fine  hunting-shirt  for  her 
brother,  embroidered  in  circles  of  red  and  yellow 
quills,  with  fringes  along  the  edge,  and  tufts  of 
long  hair  hanging  between  the  fringes.  Then  she 
wished  for  leggings  for  him,  and  a  pair  of  moc- 
casins embroidered  with  birds.  For  herself  she 
wished  for  a  woman's  dress  handsomely  em- 
broidered, and  with  four  rows  of  fringes,  also  for 
leggings  and  moccasins.  As  the  old  Wolf  could 
not  wear  clothes,  she  of  course  did  not  wish  for 
any  garment  for  him. 

Then  the  boy  said,  "I  wish  I  could  have  for 
a  Dog  a  Panther  of  yellow  colour  with  white 
sides."  His  sister  went  outside  the  tent,  and 
called,  "  Come,  Panther  of  yellow  colour  with 
white  sides !  "  And  immediately  the  Panther  came 


THE  BROTHER  AND  SISTER  261 

walking  through  the  timber,  slowly  twisting  his 
tail.  He  entered  the  tent,  and  lay  down  by  the 
boy,  and  put  his  head  on  the  boy's  knee. 

Then  the  boy  said,  "I  wish  you  could  have 
for  a  Dog  a  Bear  with  white  streaks  down  his 
fore  legs,  and  whose  claws  are  white  with  black 
streaks."  So  his  sister  went  outside  the  tent,  and 
called,  "  Come,  Bear  with  white  streaks  down  your 
fore  legs,  and  with  claws  white  with  black  streaks." 
And  immediately  the  Bear  came  pacing  through  the 
timber,  and  sat  down  at  the  foot  of  the  girl's  bed. 

After  that  the  brother  and  sister  lived  very  hap- 
pily with  the  old  Wolf,  the  Panther,  and  the  Bear. 
They  had  plenty  to  eat,  for  the  dried  meat  was 
piled  up  before  the  door  of  the  tent,  and  there 
was  meat  still  hanging  from  the  trees. 

One  day  two  Indians  from  the  tribe  that  had 
deserted  the  children,  happened  to  be  hunting  by 
the  streams,  and  they  saw  the  handsome  tent  in  the 
timber.  They  went  toward  it,  and,  lo,  there  were 
the  boy  and  girl  beautifully  dressed;  while  on  one 
side  of  the  tent  sat  the  Panther,  and  on  the  other 
side  the  Bear,  and  the  old  Wolf  was  lying  just  in 
front  of  the  door. 


262       THE  RED  INDIAN  FAIRY  BOOK 

Well,  when  the  animals  saw  the  men,  the  old 
Wolf  rose  up  growling,  the  Panther  crouched  to 
spring,  and  the  Bear  stiffened  his  hair.  The  men 
were  very  much  frightened,  but  the  boy  told  the 
animals  to  lie  down,  and  he  invited  the  men  into 
the  tent.  The  girl  bade  them  be  seated,  and  gave 
them  pemmican  in  wooden  bowls. 

Now  the  men  saw  the  wonderful  tent  and  all 
its  fine  furnishings,  and  they  looked  at  the  great 
pile  of  dried  meat  before  the  door,  and  said  to 
the  children  that  they  would  return  at  once  to  the 
tribe,  and  tell  the  people  to  come  and  see  them. 
But  the  girl  said  that  if  they  came,  they  must 
camp  down  by  the  streams,  and  not  approach  the 
tent,  or  the  animals  would  kill  them. 

So  the  men  went  back  to  the  people,  and  the 
tribe  came  to  the  streams,  and  made  their  camp. 
And  though  they  could  see  the  beautiful  tent  in 
the  distance,  they  dared  not  approach  it  for  fear 
of  the  animals. 

But  the  brother  and  sister  gave  some  of  their 
meat  to  the  people,  and  after  that  the  two  con- 
tinued to  live  happily  in  their  tent,  guarded  by 
the  faithful  old  Wolf,  the  Panther,  and  the  Bear. 


IMMEDIATELY   THE    BEAR   CAME    PACING  THROUGH 
THE   TIMBER 


THE  SNOW  MAN 

[Menominee) 

Once  there  was  a  hunter  who  with  his  family 
lived  in  a  lodge  apart  from  the  other  lodges  of 
his  village.  And  why  he  lived  apart  was  this :  — 

One  day  in  the  early  Spring  he  was  hunting 
in  the  woods.  The  Sun  shone  warmly,  and  the 
snow  was  melting.  As  he  walked  along  he  heard 
the  lumps  of  snow  go  "Snip!  Snap!"  with  a 
zipping  sound. 

"Ah!  Ha!  Master  Snow,"  laughed  he,  "so 
you  are  afraid  of  the  Sun,  are  you  I  " 

Immediately  a  voice  replied:  "Oh,  you  need 
not  speak  that  way  to  me !  I  come  because  I  am 
sent  by  my  master  the  North ;  he  tells  me  to  stay 
only  a  little  while,  and  I  must  obey  him.  The  Sun 
helps  me  to  disappear.  But  since  you  have  made 
fun  of  me,  I  will  put  you  to  a  test.  Next  Win- 
ter, Beware!" 

The  hunter  stopped,  stared,  and  listened,  but 
did  not  see  any  one.  And  as  he  turned  to  hurry 
away  from  the  spot,  he  heard  the  voice  say  again : 


264       THE  RED  INDIAN  FAIRY  BOOK 

"  We  shall  see  who  is  the  greater,  you  or  I !  Next 
Winter,  Beware!" 

The  man  was  frightened  out  of  his  senses,  and 
ran  home  with  all  speed,  and  when  he  reached 
his  lodge  in  the  village,  he  told  his  wife  and  chil- 
dren all  about  it.  After  that  he  went  to  the  next 
lodge,  where  lived  a  very  old  man  together  with 
some  ancients,  and  told  them  what  had  happened. 

"If  you  heard  the  Snow  Man  speak,"  said  the 
ancients,  "what  he  said  he  will  do,  that  he  will 
do!" 

But  the  old  man  said:  "It  is  no  wonder  that 
the  Snow  Man  was  angry  with  you  if  you  made 
fun  of  his  melting  away.  But  since  he  has  made 
a  wager  with  you,  my  Grandson,  you  must  be 
ready  to  meet  him  next  Winter.  Indeed,  all  your 
time  from  now  on  must  be  spent  in  getting  ready." 

"What  shall  I  do  to  get  ready?"  asked  the 
hunter. 

"You  must  begin  now,"  said  the  old  man,  "to 
kill  Deer,  Bear,  Buffalo,  and  all  other  large  crea- 
tures that  you  can  find.  You  must  press  out  their 
fat  and  oil,  and  put  it  all  in  skin  bags.  You  must 
also  fill  some  bags  with  pitch.  Then  you  must 


THE  SNOW  MAN  265 

cut  and  lay  aside  a  great  deal  of  gummy  wood 
full  of  knots.  After  that  you  must  build  yourself 
a  lodge  apart  from  every  one,  with  a  door  to  the 
south.  Take  Pine  pitch  and  fill  up  all  the  cracks 
in  the  walls,  and  hang  a  closely  braided  mat  be- 
fore the  door,  so  that  nothing  can  get  through. 
Inside  you  must  build  a  fireplace  with  a  small 
smoke-hole.  Then  carry  into  the  lodge  your 
supply  of  wood  and  the  skins  full  of  fat,  oil,  and 
pitch.  You  will  need  all  you  can  get,  for  the  con- 
test will  be  long  and  hard." 

"All  right,  Grandfather,"  said  the  hunter.  And 
the  poor  fellow  immediately  fell  to  work,  and 
spent  the  whole  Summer  and  Autumn  hunting 
by  night,  and  cutting  wood  and  preparing  the 
other  things  by  day.  He  made  a  great  quantity 
of  grease  and  tallow  cakes  and  bars  of  all  sizes, 
and  filled  skin  bags  with  oil  and  pitch.  And  he 
built  his  lodge  as  the  old  man  had  told  him  to  do. 

Well,  as  Winter  approached,  the  hunter  trem- 
bled with  fear,  and  bidding  his  family  good-bye, 
entered  the  lodge  and  shut  himself  in.  At  first 
he  made  only  a  little  fire,  but  by  and  by,  as  the 
cold  increased,  he  heaped  on  more  wood. 


266       THE  RED  INDIAN  FAIRY  BOOK 

One  night  a  fierce  wind  arose,  and  tore  around 
outside  the  lodge,  shrieking,   "  Boo-oo-oo-oo  ! " 

"  He  is  coming,  now  ! "  thought  the  hunter.  But 
no  one  came. 

Then  the  wind  blew  and  blew  and  blew, — 
"Boo-000-00-00-00-000000  !"— and  the  hunter 
felt  himself  getting  very  cold,  so  he  made  a  rous- 
ing fire.  The  trees  and  bushes  outside  snapped 
and  cracked  louder  and  louder,  as  the  wind  tore 
through  them.  ''He  is  surely  coming,  now!" 
thought  the  hunter.    But  no  one  came. 

The  hunter  stirred  the  fire,  and  the  cold  grew 
worse  and  worse,  and  the  wind  howled  and 
shrieked,  and  tore  the  trees  apart.  "  I  wonder 
what  he  looks  like,"  thought  the  hunter.  But  no 
one  came. 

The  time  seemed  very  short,  but  it  was  already 
Mid- Winter,  and  the  hunter  did  not  know  it! 

Well,  at  last  he  saw  him.  In  the  tightly  pitched 
and  chinked  lodge,  with  its  closely  woven  mat 
over  the  door,  a  Manlike-Object-of-Snow  walked 
about.  It  passed  close  to  the  hunter,  and  at  the 
same  moment  its  icy  breath  filled  the  lodge,  and 
the  fire  began  to  go  out. 


THE  SNOW  MAN  267 

But  the  hunter  rose  up,  and  threw  on  more 
wood  keeping  back  the  better  sort.  The  Manlike- 
Object-of-Snow  sat  down  opposite  him,  and 
stared  at  him  with  its  icy  eyes.  The  lodge  grew 
colder  and  colder,  and  the  hunter  shook  in  every 
limb,  and  the  fire  shrank  and  almost  went  out. 
But  the  hunter  remembered  what  the  old  man 
had  said,  and  he  piled  on  more  wood. 

The  time  seemed  very  short,  but  the  Winter 
was  almost  over,  and  the  hunter  did  not  know  it! 

After  that  he  felt  his  limbs  getting  numb,  so  he 
piled  on  the  best  wood,  and  stirred  the  fire,  and 
the  flames  sprang  up  and  threw  out  heat.  And 
the  Snow  Man  groaned.  Then  the  hunter  began 
to  throw  the  grease  and  tallow  on  the  flames,  and 
they  shot  up  and  blazed  and  sputtered,  and  threw 
out  a  fearful  heat.  And  the  Snow  Man  groaned 
again,  but  still  he  sat  there  with  his  icy  stare,  and 
his  breath  numbed  the  hunter's  limbs. 

The  time  seemed  very  short,  but  Winter  was 
just  over,  and  the  hunter  did  not  know  it ! 

At  last  the  man  began  to  throw  on  the  pitch, 
and  piled  up  his  largest  logs,  and  the  Snow  Man 
groaned  horribly,  and  grew  smaller  and  smaller, 


268       THE  RED  INDIAN  FAIRY  BOOK 

and  gasped  and  groaned  again.  Then  the  hunter 
poured  on  the  oil,  and  soon  only  a  little  lump  of 
ice  lay  where  the  Snow  Man  had  sat.  At  that  a 
voice  cried  out :  — 

"Ho,  my  Grandson!  You  have  conquered! 
You  are  greater  than  I,  so  I  give  up  to  you !  " 

But  the  man  did  not  stop.  He  continued  to 
pour  on  his  oil,  and  throw  on  the  pitch,  and  heap 
on  wood ;  and  the  Snow  Man  cried :  — 

"  Oh,  stop,  my  Grandson !  I  have  spoken  the 
truth.  I  will  return  to  the  North  where  I  have 
power.  And  you  shall  live  in  this  lodge,  and  be- 
come a  great  hunter.  Your  wife  and  children  may 
always  go  barefooted  in  the  snow,  and  I  will  not 
hurt  them.  Your  name  from  now  on  shall  be 
4  The- Man- who- Mastered-the- Winter.' " 

Then  the  Snow  Man  disappeared,  and  the 
hunter  lifted  the  mat  at  the  door.  And,  lo,  the 
Sun  shone,  the  grass  was  green,  the  flowers  were 
blooming,  the  birds  were  singing,  for  Winter  was 
gone  and  the  Springtime  was  there ! 


FEBRUARY   THE   MONTH  OF  THE   SKY 
AND   ROCKS 


THE  ROLLING  ROCK 
(Flathead) 

Once  on  a  time,  Coyote  dressed  himself  in  his 
best  beaded  clothes,  and  went  for  a  walk.  By 
and  by  he  met  Fox.  So  they  went  on  together. 
Coyote  had  a  fine  new  blanket,  but  Fox  had 
none.  Soon  they  came  to  a  big  smooth  Rock. 
Coyote  thought  it  a  very  nice  Rock. 

"  Indeed,"  said  he,  "you  are  the  nicest  Rock 


272       THE  RED   INDIAN   FAIRY  BOOK 

I  have  ever  seen.  I  '11  give  you  my  blanket  to 
keep  you  warm." 

So  Coyote  gave  his  blanket  to  the  Rock.  Then 
he  and  Fox  went  on  their  way. 

Pretty  soon  it  began  to  thunder  and  lighten, 
and  the  rain  poured  down  in  streams.  Coyote 
and  Fox  crept  under  the  branches  of  a  tree,  but 
the  rain  came  pouring  through  the  leaves.  As 
Coyote  had  no  blanket,  he  was  afraid  that  his 
beaded  clothes  would  be  spoiled.  So  he  said  to 
Fox:  — 

"Go  and  ask  the  Rock  for  my  blanket." 

Fox  ran  back,  and  asked  the  Rock,  and  it  said, 
"No!"  Then  Fox  hurried  to  Coyote,  and  told 
him  what  the  Rock  had  said. 

"  Go,"  said  Coyote,  "  and  ask  it  to  let  me  have 
the  blanket  for  a  little  while." 

Fox  ran  back,  and  asked  the  Rock,  and  it  said, 
"  No !  "  Then  Fox  hurried  back  and  told  Coyote 
what  the  Rock  had  said. 

"The  Rock  is  very  mean,"  said  Coyote;  "it 
might  let  me  have  the  blanket  for  a  little  while ! 
But  why  should  I  be  wet,  because  of  this  greedy 
Rock  ?  I  '11  get  my  blanket !  " 


THE   ROLLING  ROCK  273 

So  off  rushed  Coyote,  and  jerked  his  blanket 
from  the  Rock. 

Well,  Coyote  and  Fox  went  on  again,  and  soon 
it  cleared,  and  the  Sun  shone.  The  two  sat  down 
on  the  top  of  a  hill  to  smoke,  when  suddenly  they 
heard  a  crushing,  and  a  crashing,  and  an  awful 
rumbling  noise.  They  looked  up,  and  there  was 
the  Rock  coming  toward  them,  rolling  along  as 
fast  as  it  could,  and  breaking  everything  in  its 
path. 

Up  jumped  Coyote  and  Fox,  frightened  almost 
to  death,  and  away  they  ran  down  the  hill,  and  the 
Rock  came  rolling  after  them.  It  came  so  fast 
that  Fox  had  just  time  to  leap  into  a  hole,  and 
the  Rock  touched  the  tip  of  his  tail  as  it  passed 
him.  And  ever  since  then,  the  tip  of  Fox's  tail 
has  been  white. 

As  for  Coyote,  he  ran  down  the  hill  with  all 
speed,  and  sprang  into  the  river,  and  swam  across 
to  the  other  bank.  The  Rock  plunged  into  the 
water  after  him  and  Coyote  thought,  "  Now  it  will 
be  drowned ! "  But  it  was  not  drowned,  and  swam 
straight  across,  and  rolled  swiftly  after  Coyote. 

Then  Coyote  ran  into  the  thick  timber,  for  he 


274       THE  RED  INDIAN  FAIRY  BOOK 

thought,  "It  cannot  get  through  all  these  trees 
and  bushes."  But  the  Rock  rolled  right  into  the 
timber,  and  Coyote  could  hear  the  trees  and 
bushes  crackling  and  breaking,  and  he  knew  that 
the  Rock  was  coming. 

Coyote  ran  out  on  to  the  wide  prairie,  for  he 
thought,  "  There  is  no  path  on  the  prairie,  and  I 
can  run  wherever  I  wish.  The  Rock  cannot  catch 
me  there."  But  the  Rock  came  swiftly  rolling 
after. 

Then  Coyote  ran  and  ran,  until  he  met  a  huge 
Bear.  And  the  Bear  said,  "  I  will  save  you  !"  So 
he  stood  in  the  way,  and  tried  to  stop  the  Rock, 
but  it  rolled  right  over  him  and  went  on  after 
Coyote. 

Well,  Coyote  ran  and  ran,  until  he  met  a  great 
Buffalo.  And  the  Buffalo  said,  "  I  will  save  you! " 
So  he  stood  in  the  way  to  stop  the  Rock,  but  it 
rolled  right  over  him,  and  went  on  after  Coyote. 

So  Coyote  ran  and  ran,  until  he  came  to  a 
camp,  where  he  met  two  old  women  with  stone 
hatchets  in  their  hands.  The  old  women  said, 
"  We  will  save  you !  "  Coyote  ran  between  them, 
and  the  Rock  rolled  right  after  him.  Then  the  old 


THE  ROLLING   ROCK  275 

women  struck  the  Rock  with  their  hatchets,  and 
broke  it  all  to  pieces. 

Coyote  sat  down  to  rest,  and  lick  his  fur,  when 
he  heard  one  of  the  old  women  say:  "He  is  fat 
and  delicious!  Let  us  have  him  for  dinner!" 
So  up  he  jumped,  and  ran  out  of  the  camp  and 
across  the  prairie,  and  the  old  women  went  with- 
out their  dinner  that  night. 


THE  BOY  IN  THE  MOON 

(Vuntakutchin) 

Do  you  see  the  mark  in  the  middle  of  the  Moon, 
that  looks  like  a  man  ?  Well,  that  is  really  a  little 
Indian  boy.  It  happened  this  way :  — 

Many  years  ago,  there  lived  a  Vuntakutchin 
boy.  One  Winter  when  he  saw  that  his  people 
had  nothing  to  eat,  he  dreamed  they  killed  a  lot 
of  Caribou.  He  told  his  dream  in  the  morning, 
and  the  braves  set  out  to  hunt. 

But  before  they  went,  the  boy  made  his  uncle 
promise  that  he  would  give  him  the  meat  of  the 
leader  Caribou.  The  uncle  killed  the  leader,  but 
when  he  came  back  from  the  hunt,  he  gave  the 
boy  the  wrong  meat,  and  kept  the  right  meat  for 
himself. 

Well,  the  boy  felt  so  badly  that  he  cried  for 
two  nights.  And  on  the  third  night  he  disap- 
peared. He  wore  Marten-skin  pants,  and  in  the 
morning  his  uncle  saw  the  left  leg  of  the  pants, 
hanging  to  the  tent  pole  in  the  hole  where  the 
smoke  goes  out.  And  when  the  uncle  went  out- 


THE  BOY   IN   THE  MOON  277 

side  the  tent,  he  found  that  all  the  Caribou,  which 
had  been  killed  the  day  before,  had  come  to  life 
again,  and  run  away. 

As  for  the  boy,  he  had  gone  up  to  the  Moon, 
and  there  he  is  now,  with  one  leg  bigger  than 
the  other,  because  the  right  leg  has  pants  on  it. 
From  his  hand  hangs  a  little  bag  full  of  the  wrong 
Caribou  meat,  and  during  the  Autumn  and  Win- 
ter, when  the  sky  is  clear,  you  may  see  him  stand- 
ing in  the  Moon. 


THE  DISCONTENTED  ROCK 

(Iroquois) 

From  the  beginning  of  the  Earth,  Gustahote,  the 
great  Rock,  had  overhung  the  valley.  He  watched 
and  guarded  the  land,  but  he  was  not  content, 
and  longed  to  be  something  mightier  and  stronger 
than  he  was. 

"  If  I  could  be  the  wide  river  that  flows  through 
the  valley,"  he  thought,  "then  surely  I  should  be 
mighty  and  strong!  The  river  winds  happy  and 
free  through  its  broad  lands ;  and  green  grass  and 
flowers  follow  its  course.  If  I  could  only  be  that 
river ! " 

And  instantly  Gustahote  the  Rock  became  the 
river.  Down  the  valley  he  sped,  leaping  with  joy, 
and  the  singing  brooks  from  the  hills  ran  into  his 
stream.  Through  rocky  gorges  he  tossed  his 
foaming  waves  toward  the  Sky,  and  they  returned 
to  him  in  a  rainbow  spray.  He  wound  around 
the  bases  of  lofty  mountains,  and  leaped  down 
precipices.  Then  through  the  silent  forest  he 
glided,  and  the  trees  dipped  their  branches  in  his 
cool  waters. 


THE  DISCONTENTED  ROCK  279 

On  and  on  he  hastened,  faster  and  faster,  grow- 
ing wider  as  he  went,  until  at  last  he  plunged  into 
the  billowing  ocean.  It  encircled  him  with  its 
broad,  hungry  arms,  and  drew  him  down  and 
mingled  his  waters  with  the  deep,  so  that  he  was 
the  river  no  longer. 

Then  suddenly  Gustahote  found  himself  again 
the  Rock,  overhanging  and  guarding  the  valley. 
And  he  rejoiced  to  have  escaped  from  the  hungry 
deep. 

But  he  was  not  content.  He  still  longed  to  be 
something  mightier  and  stronger  than  he  was. 

"  If  I  could  have  wings,  and  live  in  the  Sky," 
he  thought,  "then  surely  I  should  be  mighty  and 
strong!  The  Sky  is  open  and  pathless,  and  leads 
to  unseen  heights.  It  has  no  billowing  deep  to 
swallow  the  unfortunate." 

And  even  as  he  thought  thus,  Gustahote  the 
Rock  became  a  bird,  and  the  air  was  caressing 
and  delicious  as  he  tried  his  wings.  He  plumed 
them,  and  fluttered  them,  and,  spreading  them 
wide,  soared  into  the  Sky.  Beneath  him  were  the 
valleys  and  the  forests  and  the  mountains,  grow- 
ing smaller  and  smaller  as  he  flew  upward. 


280       THE  RED  INDIAN  FAIRY  BOOK 

The  air  became  cold,  as  he  rose  above  the 
clouds  and  entered  the  Land  of  Mists.  A  whirl- 
ing wind  rushed  past  him,  breaking  his  wings. 
They  drooped  at  his  sides,  and  he  fell  heavily 
toward  the  Earth.  But  a  fiercer  blast  caught  him, 
and  tore  his  body  to  fragments,  and  whirled  the 
pieces  over  and  over  through  the  endless  grey  Sky. 

Then  suddenly  Gustahote  found  himself  again 
the  Rock,  overhanging  and  guarding  the  valley. 
And  he  rejoiced  that  he  had  escaped  from  the 
pathless  Sky. 

But  still  he  was  not  content.  He  longed  to  be 
something  mightier  and  stronger  than  he  was. 

"  If  I  could  be  a  creature,  and  wander  about 
on  the  Earth,"  thought  he,  "  then  surely  I  should 
be  mighty  and  strong.  Fair  are  the  valleys  of  the 
Earth,  and  wide  its  green  forests,  and  beautiful 
and  fruitful  its  meadows.  It  has  no  fierce  rushing 
wind  to  rend  in  pieces  the  unfortunate." 

And  even  as  he  thought  thus,  Gustahote  the 
Rock  became  a  creature  walking  upon  the  Earth. 
He  wandered  up  and  down  the  world,  so  strange 
to  him,  and  soon  grew  lonely  and  desired  a  com- 
panion. 


THE  DISCONTENTED  ROCK  281 

First  he  sought  the  beasts,  but  they  were  too 
busy  getting  their  food  to  stop  and  talk  to  a 
strange  creature.  After  that  he  went  to  the  birds, 
but  they  were  nesting,  and  could  not  stop  to  talk 
to  a  strange  creature.  Weary,  lonely,  and  despair- 
ing, he  wandered  about. 

Then  suddenly  Gustahote  found  himself  again 
the  Rock  overhanging  and  guarding  the  valley. 
And  he  rejoiced  that  he  was  a  Rock  once  more. 
And  he  heard  a  voice  whisper :  — 

"Be  content,  O  Gustahote  the  Rock  !  The  waters 
may  overflow  you,  but  they  cannot  drown  you. 
The  Sun  may  look  upon  you  with  its  hottest  rays, 
but  he  cannot  burn  you.  The  tempest  may  strike 
you,  but  it  cannot  rend  you.  Old  age  cannot 
wrinkle  you.  The  rivers  may  dry  up  in  their  beds, 
the  forests  may  fall  into  dust,  but  you  will  stand 
stanch  and  true,  and  always  watching,  and  forever 
remain  unchanged  and  changeless." 

So  Gustahote  the  Rock  rejoiced  exceedingly ; 
and  he  still  overhangs  and  guards  the  valley.  The 
river  flows  from  him,  and  the  Sky  smiles  or 
frowns,  and  the  Earth  heeds  him  not.  But  he  is 
content. 


LEGENDS  OF  THE  PLEIADES 

THE  SINGING  MAIDENS 
(Wyandot) 

Once  the  Sun  and  the  Moon  had  seven  little  girls, 
as  beautiful  as  Starlight.  They  were  kind  and  lov- 
ing, and  as  they  grew  older  they  went  about  the 
Sky  Land  singing  so  sweetly  that  they  were  called 
the  "Singing  Maidens." 

The  Seven  Sisters  often  looked  down  upon  the 
Earth,  and  longed  to  go  there  and  wander  about. 
"  O  Sun,"  said  they,  "  let  us  go  down  to  the  Great 
Island,  and  sing  to  men." 

The  Sun  said:  "  I  forbid  you  to  go  down  to  the 
Great  Island.  Remain  in  your  home  and  be  con- 
tent walking  about  the  Sky  Land." 

But  the  Singing  Maidens  were  not  content ;  and 
one  day,  when  the  Sun  was  gone  to  give  heat  and 
light  to  the  Earth,  they  looked  down  and  saw  a 
happy  Wyandot  village.  All  around  it  were  trees 
full  of  scarlet  Autumn  leaves,  and  it  stood  near  the 
shore  of  a  lake.  The  glittering  waves  rolled  over 


LEGENDS   OF  THE  PLEIADES  283 

the  pebble-strewn  beach,  while  flocks  of  Sea- 
Birds  flew  over  the  lake,  or  floated  on  the  waves, 
and  the  great  Herons  waded  about  among  the 
Water- Lily  pads.  Then  little  children  ran  from 
the  village  down  to  the  shore,  and  swam  or 
splashed  in  the  waves,  or  tossed  the  scarlet  leaves 
into  the  air. 

And  the  Singing  Maidens  saw  all  this,  and  cried : 
"  Here  is  a  more  beautiful  land  than  we  can  find 
in  the  Sky !  Let  us  go  down  and  dance  with  the 
children  and  sing  among  the  trees  by  the  shore  of 
the  lake!" 

So  they  slid  down  a  Sunbeam  to  the  shining 
sand.  They  sang  to  the  laughing  children,  and 
danced  on  the  rippling  waves.  And  the  children 
clapped  their  hands  and  skipped  for  joy,  and 
their  laughter  was  wafted  through  the  trees  to  the 
lodges  of  the  Wyandots.  N 

Then  all  the  people  stood  entranced,  and  said 
one  to  the  other:  "What  sweet  music  is  that?  We 
have  never  heard  such  a  lovely  song!  Come,  let 
us  see  who  is  visiting  our  children."  And  they  all 
went  down  to  the  shore. 

And  when  they  reached  the  water,  they  saw  the 


284       THE  RED  INDIAN  FAIRY  BOOK 

Singing  Maidens.  Then  suddenly  the  Sky  be- 
came black,  and  the  loud  wind  roared.  It  was 
the  Autumn  Storm  that  rolled  over  the  lake. 
For  the  Sun  had  seen  his  disobedient  daughters, 
and  had  sent  the  Storm  to  carry  them  back  to 
the  Sky. 

Very  sad  were  the  Singing  Maidens  when  they 
met  their  angry  father.  "I  will  set  you  in  a  spot, 
far  away,"  said  he;  "then  you  can  never  visit  the 
Great  Island  again." 

So  he  placed  them  in  the  distant  Sky  Land, 
where  their  bright  forms  may  be  dimly  seen  from 
the  Earth.  And  the  Pale- Face  children  call  them 
"the  Pleiades." 

The  Singing  Maidens  still  look  down  with  love 
upon  the  lake  where  they  once  danced  and  sang 
with  the  children  on  the  shining  sand. 

And  on  calm  and  silent  nights,  the  Wyandot 
Grandmother  says  to  the  little  Indian  boys  and 
girls :  "  Be  quiet,  and  sit  at  my  feet.  Soon  we  shall 
hear  the  Singing  Maidens,  as  they  dance  in  the 
scarlet  leaves ! " 


LEGENDS  OF  THE  PLEIADES 

THE  STAR  MAIDEN 
[Wyandot) 

Listen  to  the  Wyandot  Grandmother,  as  she 
tells  of  the  lovely  Star  Maiden :  — 

In  the  olden  days  when  the  Earth  was  young, 
an  Indian  brave  sat  at  the  door  of  his  lodge,  not 
far  from  a  lake.  Soon  faint  and  distant  sounds  of 
music  came  to  his  ears.  He  looked  on  all  sides, 
but  could  not  tell  from  whence  the  sounds  came. 
Then  they  grew  clearer  and  louder,  and  seemed 
to  fall  from  the  Sky  to  the  lake. 

The  young  man  listened  closely,  and  thought 
he  heard  voices  by  the  water.  So  he  crept  through 
the  grasses  and  reeds  that  grew  along  the  shore. 
And  when  he  parted  the  reeds,  he  saw  seven 
lovely  maidens  singing  and  dancing,  hand  in  hand, 
upon  the  beach. 

They  were  as  beautiful  as  Starlight,  and  one 
was  more  lovely  than  the  rest.  And  as  the  young 
man  crept  nearer,  a  pebble  slipped  beneath  his 
hand,  and  at  the  sound  the  maidens  sprang  into 


286       THE   RED   INDIAN  FAIRY   BOOK 

a  large  osier  basket,  that  rose  with  them  to  the 
Sky.  And  so  they  disappeared  from  his  sight. 

The  young  man  returned  in  sorrow  to  his  lodge. 
All  that  night  he  did  not  sleep,  but  thought  of  the 
maiden  who  was  lovelier  than  the  rest.  And  all 
the  next  day  he  wandered  about  lonely  and  sad. 
But  when  evening  came,  he  went  down  again  to 
the  water,  and  hid  among  the  reeds. 

Soon  he  heard  the  music  falling  sweetly  from 
the  Sky,  and  the  osier  basket  came  floating  down- 
ward. The  Seven  Maidens  stepped  out  on  the 
beach,  and  began  to  dance  and  sing  as  before. 
And  as  the  young  man  watched  them,  his  delight 
was  so  great  that  he  exclaimed  with  joy.  The 
maidens  heard  the  sound,  and  sprang  into  the 
basket,  that  rose  with  them  to  the  Sky. 

Again  on  the  third  night,  the  young  man 
watched,  and  the  maidens  came.  And  as  they 
danced  to  and  fro,  he  rushed  in  among  them. 
Filled  wkh  terror,  they  ran  to  their  basket,  and 
six  of  them  sprang  in,  and  the  basket  began  to 
rise.  But  the  young  man  caught  the  loveliest 
maiden  by  her  girdle,  as  she  clung  to  the  side  of 
the  basket ;  and  they  were  both  lifted  into  the  air. 


LEGENDS   OF   THE   PLEIADES  287 

Soon  she  lost  her  hold,  and  they  fell  gently  to  the 
ground. 

Then  the  young  man  led  her  to  his  lodge  and 
begged  her  to  become  his  bride.  Very  grieved 
she  was,  but  not  angry.  "We  are  the  Seven  Star 
Sisters,"  she  said,  "the  Singing  Maidens.  We 
have  always  lived  together  in  the  Sky  Land 
where  you  have  seen  us  dancing  above  you.  If 
you  will  go  with  me  to  the  lodge  of  the  Sun,  I 
will  become  your  bride." 

So  the  next  night,  when  the  basket  descended 
again,  the  Star  Maiden  took  the  young  man  with 
her  into  the  Sky  Land,  and  there  he  saw  many 
wonderful  things.  After  which  they  returned  once 
more  to  the  Earth,  and  the  Star  Maiden  became 
his  bride. 

That  is  why  to-day  the  Indian  children  see 
only  six  Singing  Maidens  among  the  Pleiades; 
and  why  sometimes  the  shadow  of  the  seventh  is 
faintly  seen. 


MARCH  THE  MONTH   OF  THE  RABBIT 
AND  SPRING 


HOW  MAPLE-SUGAR  CAME 

(Salteaux) 

After  Nanahboozhoo  had  given  the  Wild  Roses 
their  thorns,  he  wandered  about  the  world  play- 
ing pranks  on  the  Little  People  of  Darkness,  so 
that  they  determined  to  be  revenged  on  him  and 
kill  his  old  Grandmother  Nokomis.  Nanahbooz- 
hoo loved  his  grandmother  dearly,  and  when  he 
knew  that  the  Little  People  wished  to  hurt  her, 


292        THE  RED  INDIAN  FAIRY  BOOK 

he  took  Nokomis  upon  his  strong  back,  and  flew 
away  with  her  to  a  forest. 

Wonderful  was  the  forest,  for  it  was  in  the 
Autumn  of  the  year,  and  the  Maple  Trees  were 
all  yellow,  green,  and  crimson.  From  a  distance 
they  looked  like  a  great  fire.  It  happened  that  the 
Little  People  followed  after  Nanahboozhoo,  and 
when  they  saw  the  bright  colours  of  the  Maples, 
through  the  haze  of  Indian  Summer,  they  thought 
the  whole  world  was  in  flames,  and  turned  back 
and  hid  in  their  holes. 

Nanahboozhoo  was  so  pleased  with  the  beau- 
tiful Maples  for  having  saved  his  grandmother 
from  the  Little  People  that  he  decided  to  live 
among  the  trees,  and  he  made  old  Nokomis  a 
wigwam  of  their  brightest  branches. 

One  day,  some  Indians  came  seeking  Nanah- 
boozhoo to  ask  for  help.  They  found  him  in  his 
grandmother's  wigwam  among  the  yellow,  green, 
and  crimson  Maples,  where  he  received  them 
kindly. 

"O  Nanahboozhoo,"  said  they,  "the  Indians 
of  the  Far  South  have  a  delicious  sweet  thing 
they  call  Sugar,  and  we  have  nothing  of  the  kind. 


HOW   MAPLE-SUGAR  CAME  293 

We  sent  runners  with  gifts  to  the  South  to  get 
an  abundance  of  Sugar  for  our  people ;  but  some 
of  the  runners  were  killed  and  others  wounded. 
Tell  us,  therefore,  O  Nanahboozhoo,  how  we  may 
make  Sugar  for  ourselves." 

At  first  Nanahboozhoo  was  greatly  puzzled, 
for  he  had  been  in  the  Southland  and  knew  how 
hard  it  was  to  make  Sugar.  But  old  Nokomis, 
when  she  heard  what  the  Indians  asked,  added 
her  pleadings  to  theirs,  for  she  too  had  tasted 
Sugar  and  longed  for  more.  Of  course  Nanah- 
boozhoo could  not  refuse  to  help,  so  he  thought 
a  while,  and  said :  — 

"  Since  the  beautful  Maples  were  so  good  to 
Nokomis,  henceforth  in  the  Spring  of  the  year 
they  shall  give  the  Indians  sweet  sap.  And 
when  the  sap  is  boiled  down  thick  and  delicious, 
it  will  cool  and  harden  into  Sugar." 

Then  Nanahboozhoo  gave  the  Indians  a  bucket 
made  of  Birchbark,  and  a  stone  tapping-gouge 
with  which  to  make  holes  in  the  tree-trunks ;  and 
he  shaped  for  them  some  Cedar  spiles  or  little 
spouts,  to  put  in  the  holes,  and  through  which 
the  sap  might  run  from  the  trees  into  buckets. 


294        THE   RED   INDIAN   FAIRY   BOOK 

He  told  them,  too,  that  they  must  build  great  fire- 
places in  the  woods  near  the  Maple  groves,  and 
when  the  buckets  were  full  of  sap,  they  must 
pour  it  into  their  kettles,  and  boil  it  down.  And 
the  amount  of  Sugar  they  might  boil  each  Spring 
would  depend  on  the  number  of  Cedar  spiles  and 
Birchbark  buckets  they  made  during  the  Winter. 
And  every  Springtime  since,  when  the  Frost 
is  going  out  of  the  ground  and  the  Arbutus  blos- 
soms under  the  snow,  the  sweet  sap  mounts 
through  the  trunks  of  the  Maple  Trees,  and  the 
Northern  Indians  gather  the  sap,  and  say,  "This 
is  the  way  Nanahboozhoo  taught  us  to  make 
Maple-Sugar  I " 


MISHOSHA  OR  THE  ENCHANTED 
SUGAR-MAPLE 

(Chippewa) 

Very,  very  long  ago,  before  there  were  so  many- 
people  as  now,  two  brothers  were  lost  in  a  wide 
forest.  They  wandered  on  and  on,  not  knowing 
where  to  go,  and  the  elder  often  carried  his  little 
brother,  when  the  child  grew  too  tired  to  walk. 
Sometimes  they  gathered  wild  fruit,  and  some- 
times they  shot  birds  and  roasted  them.  Day 
after  day  they  plunged  deeper  into  the  forest,  and 
night  after  night  they  slept  in  the  branches. 

At  last  they  saw  an  opening  through  the  trees, 
and  soon  they  were  delighted  to  find  themselves 
on  the  shore  of  a  beautiful  lake.  The  elder 
brother  wandered  about  picking  the  hips  from 
the  Wild-Rose  bushes,  while  the  little  brother 
sat  on  the  beach,  and  amused  himself  by  shoot- 
ing arrows  into  the  sand. 

One  of  the  arrows  happened  to  fall  into  the 
lake,  and  when  the  elder  brother  saw  it  floating 


296        THE  RED   INDIAN   FAIRY   BOOK 

away,  he  sprang  into  the  water  to  get  it,  for  he 
had  only  a  few  arrows  left. 

The  waves  carried  the  arrow  far  from  land,  and 
the  youth  swam  after  it.  But,  just  as  he  was 
about  to  grasp  it,  a  canoe  approached  him,  as 
swift  as  lightning.  In  it  was  an  old  man,  who 
leaned  over  the  side  and  seized  the  swimming 
youth.  He  dragged  him  into  the  canoe,  which 
darted  away  across  the  lake. 

The  little  brother,  on  the  beach,  fell  on  his 
knees,  and  wept,  and  stretched  out  his  hands; 
while  the  youth  besought  the  old  man  with  tears : 
"  O  my  Grandfather,  pray  take  my  little  brother, 
too !  Do  not  leave  him  alone  to  die  of  grief  and 
hunger!" 

But  the  old  man  only  laughed  a  wicked  laugh, 
"  Hal  Ha!  Ha!  "  and  struck  the  canoe  a  blow, 
and  it  sped  even  more  quickly  over  the  water. 

Soon  they  approached  an  island  in  the  centre 
of  the  lake.  It  was  an  Enchanted  Island,  the 
abode  of  the  old  man,  who  was  Mishosha,  the 
evil  Magician.  There  he  lived  with  his  two 
daughters.  And  though  he  was  the  terror  of  all 
men,  his  daughters  were  lovely  and  gentle. 


THE  ENCHANTED  SUGAR-MAPLE      297 

He  led  the  youth  to  his  lodge,  where  his 
daughters  were  seated.  "  Rise  up,  my  child,"  said 
he  to  the  elder,  "  I  have  brought  you  a  handsome 
husband." 

But  the  maiden  drooped  her  lovely  head,  and 
said  never  a  word.  She  and  her  sister  rose  up, 
and  cooked  the  supper.  And  after  they  had  all 
eaten,  the  youth  lay  down  in  a  corner  of  the  lodge 
to  sleep.  But  soon  he  heard  the  two  maidens 
whispering  together,  while  their  father  slept. 

"Alas!"  said  the  elder  daughter,  "our  father 
has  brought  this  young  stranger,  not  to  be  my 
husband,  but  to  kill  him  most  cruelly !  How  long 
must  we  see  such  wickedness  and  do  nothing!" 

And  when  the  youth  heard  the  elder  maiden 
speak  thus,  he  crept  to  her  side.  He  told  her  how 
Mishosha  had  seized  him,  and  left  his  little 
brother  to  die  of  grief  and  hunger. 

The  maiden  wept  to  hear  this,  and  bade  him 
rise  up.  "Go  quickly,"  said  she,  "and  take  our 
father's  magic  canoe.  Put  food  in  it,  and  step  in, 
and  give  it  a  blow.  It  will  carry  you  to  your  lit- 
tle brother.  Only  return  here  before  the  Sun 
rises,  and  our  father  wakes." 


298       THE  RED   INDIAN   FAIRY   BOOK 

So  the  youth  rose  up,  and  hastened  and  loaded 
the  canoe  with  food.  Then  he  stepped  in,  and 
gave  it  a  blow.  Straightway  it  sped  swiftly  over 
the  waves.  In  a  short  time  he  drew  near  the 
beach,  and  there  lay  the  little  brother,  who  had 
cried  himself  to  sleep. 

The  youth  gave  the  child  food,  and  told  him 
to  wait  in  patience,  for  soon  he  hoped  to  over- 
come the  evil  Magician.  Then  he  would  return 
to  his  little  brother  never  to  leave  him  again. 
So  the  child  was  comforted,  and  the  youth, 
stepping  into  the  canoe,  gave  it  a  blow,  and 
it  sped  like  lightning  back  to  the  Enchanted 
Island. 

When  the  Sun  rose,  Mishosha  awoke,  and  said 
to  the  youth :  "  Come,  my  Son,  I  want  you  to 
go  with  me  to  gather  Gulls'  eggs.  I  know  an 
island  where  there  are  many." 

So  the  youth,  not  knowing  how  to  refuse, 
stepped  into  the  canoe  with  the  old  man,  who 
gave  it  a  blow,  and  in  an  instant  they  were  at  the 
island.  They  found  the  shore  covered  with  Gulls' 
eggs,  while  a  flock  of  Gulls  hung  like  a  cloud 
over  the  island. 


THE  ENCHANTED  SUGAR-MAPLE      299 

"Go,  my  Son,"  said  Mishosha,  "and  gather 
the  eggs  for  me." 

The  youth  obeyed,  but  no  sooner  had  he 
stepped  ashore  than  Mishosha  pushed  the  canoe 
far  from  land.  "Listen,  ye  Gulls!"  cried  the  evil 
one,  "  you  have  long  expected  a  gift  from  me  !  I 
now  give  you  this  youth.  Fly  down,  and  devour 
him  !  "  Then,  striking  his  canoe,  Mishosha  darted 
away,  laughing  his  wicked  laugh,  "Ha!  Ha! 
Ha!" 

Immediately  the  Gulls,  like  a  cloud,  descended, 
shrieking,  and  enveloped  the  youth  with  their 
wings.  But  he  seized  his  knife,  and  severed  the 
neck  of  the  first  bird  he  could  grasp.  He  hung  its 
skin  and  feathers  on  his  breast,  and  cried  out :  — 

"  Thus  will  I  treat  every  bird  that  injures  me ! 
It  is  not  for  you,  O  Gulls,  to  eat  human  flesh ! 
Nor  is  it  in  the  power  of  that  wicked  Magician 
to  give  me  to  you.  Take  me  at  once  on  your 
backs,  and  carry  me  to  his  lodge." 

The  Gulls  obeyed.  They  drew  close  together 
so  that  the  youth  rested  on  their  outstretched 
wings.  And  even  before  Mishosha  could  reach 
his  home,  they  bore  the  youth  quickly  to  the 


300       THE  RED  INDIAN  FAIRY  BOOK 

lodge  on  the  enchanted  Island.  There  they  set 
him  down,  and  flew  away. 

The  daughters  were  surprised  and  delighted  to 
see  him ;  but  when  Mishosha  entered,  he  looked 
at  him,  and  said  never  a  word. 

When  morning  came,  Mishosha  said :  "  Come, 
my  Son,  I  will  take  you  to  an  island  covered  with 
beautiful  pebbles  shining  like  silver.  I  wish  you 
to  gather  some  for  me." 

So  once  more  the  two  entered  the  canoe,  and 
the  old  man  gave  it  a  blow,  and  they  were  in- 
stantly at  the  island.  He  bade  the  youth  go 
ashore,  but  no  sooner  had  he  done  so  than  Mi- 
shosha pushed  the  canoe  far  from  land. 

" Arise,  King  of  Fishes!"  the  evil  one  cried, 
"  you  have  long  expected  a  gift  from  me !  I  give 
you  this  youth.  Arise  and  eat  him!"  Then, 
striking  his  canoe,  Mishosha  darted  away,  laugh- 
ing his  wicked  laugh,  "  Ha!  Ha!   Ha!  " 

Immediately  a  monstrous  Fish  put  forth  his 
snout  from  the  water.  It  was  so  long  that  it 
reached  across  the  island.  He  opened  wide  his 
oozing  jaws  to  seize  his  prey.  But  the  youth 
drew  his  knife,  and  cried  out:  — 


THE  ENCHANTED  SUGAR-MAPLE      301 

"Thus  will  I  kill  you!  It  is  not  for  you,  O 
Fish,  to  eat  human  flesh !  Listen  not  to  the 
words  of  the  wicked  one;  he  cannot  give  me  to 
you.  Take  me  on  your  back,  and  carry  me  at 
once  to  his  lodge." 

The  King  of  Fishes  obeyed.  He  lifted  his  back 
from  the  water,  and  the  youth  seated  himself, 
and  held  on  by  the  fins.  Quickly  they  sped 
through  the  waves.  And  even  before  Mishosha 
could  reach  his  home,  the  Fish  placed  the  youth 
on  the  shore  of  the  Enchanted  Island,  and  swam 
away. 

The  daughters  were  surprised  and  delighted  to 
see  the  youth;  and  when  Mishosha  entered,  he 
looked  at  him,  and  said  to  himself:  "What  kind 
of  a  man  is  this  whose  power  is  so  great !  I  must 
destroy  him  to-morrow!  " 

When  the  morning  was  come,  Mishosha  said: 
"  Come,  my  Son,  I  wish  you  to  get  some  young 
Eagles  for  me.  I  know  an  island  where  they 
dwell." 

So  again  the  two  entered  the  canoe,  and  the 
old  man  gave  it  a  blow,  and  instantly  they  were 
at  the  island.  This  time  he  stepped  out  of  the 


302       THE  RED   INDIAN  FAIRY  BOOK 

canoe,  and  led  the  youth  to  a  tall  Pine  Tree.  And 
in  the  topmost  boughs  were  the  Eagles'  nests. 

"Now,  my  Son,"  said  Mishosha,  " climb  up 
the  tree,  and  bring  down  the  young  birds  to  me." 

The  youth  obeyed,  climbing  slowly,  until  he 
reached  the  nests. 

"Tree!  Tree!"  cried  the  evil  one,  "stretch 
yourself  toward  the  clouds,  and  grow  taller  and 
taller!" 

And  immediately  the  top  of  the  Pine  Tree 
stretched  itself,  and  shot  upward  into  the  air,  car- 
rying the  youth  with  it. 

"  Listen,  O  Eagles !  "  then  cried  the  old  man, 
"  you  have  long  expected  a  gift  from  me !  I  give 
you  this  youth.  Tear  out  his  eyes!"  Then,  en- 
tering his  canoe,  Mishosha  gave  it  a  blow,  and, 
as  he  darted  away,  he  laughed  his  wicked  laugh, 
"Ha!  Ha!  Ha!" 

The  Eagles,  uttering  savage  screams,  circled 
around  the  youth,  trying  to  tear  out  his  eyes  with 
their  beaks  and  claws.  But  with  his  knife  he  cut 
off  the  head  of  the  first  bird  that  attacked  him. 

"  Thus  will  I  do,"  cried  he,  "  to  every  bird  that 
injures  me  !  It  is  not  for  you,  O  ravenous  Eagles, 


THE  ENCHANTED  SUGAR-MAPLE      303 

to  eat  human  flesh !  Nor  can  Mishosha  give  me 
to  you.  Carry  me  back  at  once  to  his  lodge." 

The  Eagles  obeyed.  They  clustered  around 
him,  forming  a  seat  with  their  backs.  Then  they 
flew  with  him  toward  the  Enchanted  Island.  And 
as  they  crossed  the  lake,  they  passed  over  Mishosha 
lying  asleep  in  the  bottom  of  his  swiftly  moving 
canoe.  So  they  reached  the  Enchanted  Island  first, 
and,  placing  the  youth  on  the  shore,  flew  away. 

The  daughters  received  him  with  joy,  and  when 
Mishosha  entered,  he  looked  at  him,  and  thought: 
"Alas !  Who  is  this,  whose  power  is  greater  than 
mine  !  I  cannot  destroy  him!" 

Now,  when  the  morning  was  come,  the  youth 
said  to  Mishosha:  "My  Grandfather,  I  have 
gone  on  perilous  errands  with  you.  To-day  I 
must  ask  you  to  go  with  me.  I  wish  to  try  my 
skill  in  hunting.  I  know  an  island  where  there  is 
plenty  of  game." 

The  old  man  consented,  for  he  thought  in  his 
heart,  "I  will  destroy  him  while  hunting." 

So  together  they  entered  the  canoe,  and  the 
youth  gave  it  a  blow,  and  they  were  instantly  at 
the  island. 


304        THE  RED   INDIAN   FAIRY   BOOK 

They  spent  the  day  hunting,  and  when  night 
came  on,  they  set  up  a  lodge  of  branches  in  the 
woods.  Soon  Mishosha  was  in  deep  slumber,  and 
the  youth  arose.  Now,  the  feet  and  legs  were  the 
only  parts  of  Mishosha' s  body  that  were  not 
guarded  by  evil  spirits.  So  the  youth  took  one 
of  the  Magician's  leggings,  and  one  of  his  moc- 
casins, and  threw  them  into  the  fire.  Soon  they 
were  consumed.  Then  the  youth  lay  down  and 
slept.  And  while  he  dreamed,  a  great  storm  arose 
over  the  island.  A  piercing,  icy  wind  began  to 
blow,  and  sleet  and  snow  covered  the  ground  and 
bushes.  And  when  they  both  woke  in  the  morn- 
ing, the  deep  snow  was  everywhere,  and  the  cold 
wind  was  blowing. 

Then  the  youth  got  up,  and  called  Mishosha 
to  go  hunting.  But  the  old  man  could  not  find  his 
legging  and  moccasin.  With  despair  in  his  heart, 
he  was  forced  to  follow  the  youth,  and  he  stum- 
bled and  crept  through  the  snow  that  clutched  his 
bare  leg  like  an  icy  hand. 

Often  the  youth  turned  his  head  to  see  if  Misho- 
sha was  following.  He  saw  him  falter,  almost 
benumbed  with  the  cold,  but  still  he   followed. 


THE  ENCHANTED  SUGAR-MAPLE     305 

Onward  they  went,  hour  after  hour,  through 
drifts  and  across  ice-bound  pools.  At  length  they 
stepped  from  the  woods,  out  upon  the  sandy 
shore.  The  youth  then  saw  Mishosha  stand  still 
on  the  shore,  for  he  could  go  no  farther. 

The  old  man's  legs  grew  stiff  and  fixed  to  the 
ground.  But  still  he  kept  stretching  out  his  arms, 
and  swinging  his  body  to  and  fro.  Every  mo- 
ment a  numbness  crept  through  his  limbs.  His 
feet  became  roots  in  the  earth,  his  legs  grew  to- 
gether, and  were  covered  with  bark.  The  feathers 
on  his  head  turned  to  leaves,  and  his  arms  to 
branches.  And  he  was  no  longer  Mishosha  the 
Magician,  but  a  tall  and  stiff  Sugar- Maple  tree, 
leaning  toward  the  water. 

Then  the  youth  rejoiced,  and  sprang  into  the 
magic  canoe.  He  gave  it  a  blow,  and  soon  it  was 
at  the  Enchanted  Island.  He  told  the  daughters 
what  had  happened,  and  they  were  happy  to  be  rid 
of  their  wicked  father.  They  all  entered  the  canoe, 
and  swiftly  it  darted  to  the  beach  where  the  little 
brother  was  waiting.  And  then  the  elder  daugh- 
ter married  the  youth ;  and  the  four  lived  happily 
together  in  the  forest. 


HOW  MASTER  RABBIT  WENT  FISHING 

(Micmac) 

In  old  times,  Master  Rabbit  lived  with  his  grand- 
mother in  a  comfortable  little  wigwam.  In  Sum- 
mer it  was  easy  for  him  to  get  food,  but  when 
Winter  came  and  the  ice  was  thick  on  the  river, 
and  the  snow  was  deep  on  the  plain,  he  and  his 
grandmother  often  went  hungry. 

One  cold  day  Master  Rabbit  was  running 
through  the  forest  looking  for  something  to  eat, 
and  by  and  by  he  came  to  a  lonely  wigwam  on 
the  bank  of  a  river.  A  smooth  path  of  ice  slanted 
from  the  door  down  to  the  water.  And  inside  the 
wigwam  sat  the  Otter. 

Master  Rabbit  went  in,  and  the  Otter  welcomed 
him,  and  told  his  daughter  to  get  the  fire  ready 
to  cook  the  dinner.  Then  the  Otter  took  from  the 
wall  his  hooks  on  which  he  strung  Fish,  and  went 
to  fetch  a  mess.  He  sat  on  the  top  of  the  icy 
slide  and,  coasting  down  it,  plunged  under  the 
water.  Soon  he  came  back  with  a  great  bunch 
of    Eels   strung   on   his   hooks.     His   daughter 


SPUTTERING,  SHIVERING,  AND   ALMOST   FROZEN 


HOW  MASTER  RABBIT  WENT  FISHING    307 

dressed  the  Eels,  and  cooked  them,  and  they  all 
sat  down  to  eat. 

"  Hi !  Ho  !  "  thought  Master  Rabbit,  "  but  that 
is  an  easy  way  to  get  a  living !  I  am  clever,  so 
why  can't  I  do  the  same  thing  as  well  as  this 
Otter?  Of  course  I  can !  I  '11  try !  "  So  he  invited 
the  Otter  to  dine  with  him  in  three  days,  and  went 
home. 

The  next  morning,  Master  Rabbit  said  to  his 
grandmother,  "Come,  let  us  move  our  wigwam 
down  to  the  lake."  So  they  moved  it,  and  he  chose 
a  spot  close  to  the  edge  of  the  shore.  Then  he 
made  a  nice  slide  of  ice,  like  the  Otter's,  from  the 
door  of  the  wigwam  down  to  the  water. 

On  the  third  day  the  Otter  came,  and  entered 
the  wigwam.  Master  Rabbit  welcomed  him,  and 
told  his  grandmother  to  get  the  fire  ready  to  cook 
the  dinner. 

"What  am  I  to  cook,  Grandson?"  asked  she. 

"I '11  see  to  that,"  said  he.  And  he  took  from 
the  wall  a  stick  on  which  to  string  Eels. 

Then  he  sat  on  the  slide  and  tried  to  coast  down 
it,  but  he  did  not  know  how.  First  he  went  to 
the  right,  then  he  went  to  the  left,  then  he  spun 


308       THE  RED  INDIAN  FAIRY  BOOK 

around.  After  that  he  shot  down  the  slide,  and 
went  head  over  heels  into  the  water.  There  he 
lost  his  breath ;  and  the  water  was  cold,  and  he 
was  almost  drowned. 

"What  strange  thing  is  he  trying  to  do  ?  "  asked 
the  Otter. 

"He  must  have  seen  some  one  do  that,"  said 
the  grandmother,  with  surprise,  "and  is  trying  to 
do  the  same  thing." 

"Is  that  all!"  said  the  Otter.  Then  he  called 
out  to  Master  Rabbit,  "Hi!  Ho!  Come  out  of 
there,  and  give  me  your  Eel  stick ! " 

So  poor  Master  Rabbit  came  creeping  out  of 
the  water,  sputtering,  shivering,  and  almost  frozen. 
He  limped  into  the  wigwam,  and  his  grandmother 
dried  his  fur,  and  warmed  him  by  the  fire. 

As  for  the  Otter,  he  plunged  into  the  lake,  and 
soon  returned  with  a  load  of  Fish.  He  threw  them 
down  on  the  floor,  and  went  off  in  disgust,  with- 
out waiting  for  dinner. 


THE  WOODPECKER  GIRLS 
[Micmac\ 

Now,  Master  Rabbit,  after  he  had  been  so  foolish, 
was  not  discouraged  at  all.  And  one  day,  when 
he  was  wandering  about  the  wilderness,  he  came 
to  a  wigwam  filled  with  pretty  girls.  They  wore 
red  feathers  on  their  heads,  and  had  long  bills; 
and  no  wonder,  for  they  were  Woodpecker  Girls ! 

As  Master  Rabbit  was  hungry  and  tired,  he 
hoped  that  he  would  be  asked  to  dinner,  so  he 
walked  into  the  wigwam  and  spoke  nicely  to  the 
girls.  They  asked  him  to  sit  down  and  eat  with 
them.  And  so  he  sat  down  and  waited. 

By  and  by  one  of  the  girls  took  a  little  wooden 
dish,  and  ran  lightly  up  the  trunk  of  a  tree.  She 
stopped  here  and  there,  and  tapped  with  her  bill 
and  pulled  from  the  bark  a  lot  of  little  insects, 
white  like  grains  of  rice.  She  filled  her  dish  with 
them,  and  then  ran  down  the  tree,  and  cooked  the 
insects  for  dinner. 

When  they  had  all  dined,  Master  Rabbit  said 
to  himself,  "  Hi !  Ho!  how  easily  some  people  get 


310       THE  RED  INDIAN  FAIRY  BOOK 

their  living !  What  is  to  hinder  me  from  doing  the 
same?"  So  he  asked  the  Woodpecker  Girls  to 
dine  with  him  in  two  days,  and  went  home. 

The  day  came,  and  the  girls  arrived,  and,  en- 
tering the  wigwam,  sat  down.  Then  Master  Rab- 
bit said,  "Wait  while  I  go  and  get  the  dinner." 

So  he  took  a  dish,  and  tied  an  Eel  spear  to  his 
nose.  He  climbed  up  a  tree  as  best  he  could,  and 
tapped  with  the  spear ;  but  could  not  find  a  single 
insect.  Instead,  he  tore  his  fur  and  cut  his  nose  so 
that  the  blood  ran  out,  and  stained  his  head.  And 
the  only  part  of  him  that  looked  like  a  Wood- 
pecker, was  his  red  head ! 

Then  all  the  pretty  girls  watched  him,  and 
laughed,  and  said,  "What  strange  thing  is  he  try- 
ing to  do?" 

"Ah,"  said  his  grandmother,  "I  suppose  he 
has  seen  some  one  do  that,  and  is  trying  to  do 
the  same  thing." 

"Is  that  all !  "  cried  the  prettiest  Woodpecker 
Girl,  and  she  called  out  to  Master  Rabbit,  "Hi! 
Ho!  Come  down  from  there,  and  give  me  your 
dish!" 

So  Master  Rabbit,  ashamed  and  bleeding,  came 


THE   WOODPECKER  GIRLS  311 

falling  out  of  the  tree,  and  crept  into  the  wigwam, 
where  his  grandmother  healed  his  head  with  herbs. 
As  for  the  prettiest  Woodpecker  Girl,  she  ran 
up  the  tree,  and  soon  came  back  with  her  dish 
full  of  insects.  Then  all  the  girls,  laughing  hard 
at  Master  Rabbit,  went  off  without  waiting  for 
dinner. 


BAD  WILD  CAT 

( Passamaquoddy ) 

After  this  Master  Rabbit  gave  up  imitating  other 
people,  and  studied  magic  instead,  so  that  he 
became  a  great  Magician.  Now,  his  enemy  Bad 
Wild  Cat  started  one  day  to  hunt  him  down,  and 
Master  Rabbit  determined  with  all  his  might  not 
to  be  caught.  So  he  picked  up  a  handful  of  magic 
chips,  and  threw  one  as  far  as  he  could,  and 
jumped  on  it;  and  then  he  threw  another,  and 
jumped  on  that;  so  he  made  no  tracks.  And  when 
he  had  got  out  of  scent,  sight,  and  sound,  he 
scampered  away  like  the  wind. 

As  for  Bad  Wild  Cat,  he  rushed  through  the 
woods  to  Master  Rabbit's  wigwam,  and  found 
him  gone.  Then  he  swore  by  his  tail  that  he 
would  catch  Master  Rabbit,  if  he  had  to  hunt  him 
forever.  So  he  kept  going  around  and  around  the 
wigwam,  all  the  time  getting  a  little  farther  and 
farther  away,  until  at  last  he  found  Rabbit  tracks. 
Then  he  went  in  hot  haste  after  Master  Rabbit. 

They  both  ran  hard  until  night  came  on,  when 


BAD  WILD  CAT  313 

Master  Rabbit  had  only  time  enough  to  trample 
down  the  snow  a  bit,  and  stick  a  Spruce  twig  in 
it,  and  sit  on  it. 

Along  came  Bad  Wild  Cat,  and  when  he  reached 
the  snow  he  found  a  fine  wigwam,  and  put  his 
head  in.  All  that  he  saw  was  an  old  man,  whose 
hair  was  grey,  and  who  had  two  long  venerable 
ears. 

"Old  man,  have  you  seen  a  Rabbit  running 
this  way?"  he  asked. 

"  Rabbits  !  Rabbits  1 "  said  the  old  man.  "Why, 
of  course  I  have  seen  many.  They  run  about  in 
the  woods  here.  I  see  dozens  of  them  every  day. 
But  I  am  an  old  man,  an  old  man  living  alone, 
and  you  are  cold  and  hungry,  so  you  had  better 
stay  here  to-night." 

Bad  Wild  Cat  was  greatly  impressed,  and  went 
in  and  sat  down.  After  a  good  supper,  he  lay  before 
the  fire,  and  having  run  all  day,  soon  fell  asleep. 

But,  oh !  how  miserable  he  was  when  he  woke 
in  the  morning,  to  find  himself  in  the  open  field, 
lying  in  the  snow,  and  almost  starved !  The  wind 
blew  as  if  to  kill  him,  and  seemed  to  go  straight 
through  his  body. 


314       THE  RED  INDIAN  FAIRY  BOOK 

Then  he  saw  that  he  had  been  fooled,  and  up 
he  jumped  in  a  rage,  and  swore  by  his  teeth  as 
well  as  his  tail,  that  Master  Rabbit  should  die. 
So  he  ran  on  fast,  and  he  howled  as  he  went:  — 

"Oh!  howl  hate  him! 
How  I  despise  him! 
How  I  laugh  at  him ! 
Oh!  may  I  scalp  him!" 

Well,  he  ran  all  that  day,  and  when  night  came 
Master  Rabbit  heard  Bad  Wild  Cat  coming  near. 
He  had  a  little  more  time  than  before,  so  he 
trampled  down  a  heap  of  snow,  and  strewed 
branches  of  trees  about. 

And  when  Bad  Wild  Cat  got  there  he  found  a 
big  Indian  village,  full  of  people  going  to  and  fro. 
The  first  person  he  met  was  a  young  man  whose 
ears  stood  up  like  two  handles  of  a  pitcher. 

"  Have  you  seen  a  Rabbit  running  this  way?" 
he  asked  the  young  man. 

"Rabbits!  Rabbits!"  replied  the  young  man. 
"Why,  there  are  hundreds  of  them  racing  about 
the  Cedar  swamp  near  this  place.  You  can  get  as 
many  as  you  want." 

Just  then  the  Chief  of  the  village  came  up,  and 


BAD  WILD  CAT  315 

he  was  very  remarkable  and  grey,"  with  a  long 
lock  standing  up  on  either  side  of  his  head.  He 
invited  Bad  Wild  Cat  to  his  wigwam,  where  his 
two  beautiful  daughters  cooked  a  fine  supper. 
And  when  Bad  Wild  Cat  wished  to  sleep,  they 
made  him  a  couch  of  a  White  Bear's  skin,  and 
laid  it  before  the  fire.    And  so  he  went  to  sleep. 

But,  oh !  how  he  raged  when  he  woke  in  the 
morning,  and  found  himself  in  a  wet  Cedar 
swamp,  and  his  head  cut  by  a  stone !  The  wind 
was  blowing  ten  times  worse  than  before;  and 
all  around  him  were  Rabbit  tracks  and  broken 
branches. 

Up  he  jumped,  and  swore  by  his  tail,  teeth, 
and  claws,  that  he  would  be  revenged.  And  he 
snarled  as  he  went :  — 

"Oh!  how  I  hate  him! 
How  I  despise  him! 
How  I  laugh  at  him! 
Oh!  may  I  scalp  him!" 

Well,  Master  Rabbit  and  Bad  Wild  Cat  both 
ran  hard.  But  Bad  Wild  Cat  was  tired  and  al- 
most broken  down  with  weariness  and  his  head 
was  sore.  About  noon  he  came  to  two  good  wig- 


316       THE  RED   INDIAN  FAIRY  BOOK 

warns,  and  looking  into  one  he  saw  an  old  grey- 
haired  man  with  two  long  white  feathers,  one  on 
either  side  of  his  head.  And  in  the  other  wigwam 
was  a  young  girl,  his  daughter. 

They  received  Bad  Wild  Cat  kindly,  and  when 
the  old  man  saw  his  sore  head,  he  said  that  he 
must  get  a  Doctor  at  once,  or  Bad  Wild  Cat 
would  die.  So  the  old  man  hurried  out,  and  left 
his  daughter  to  feed  the  stranger. 

When  the  Doctor  came,  he,  too,  was  a  grey  old 
man,  with  a  scalp-lock  strangely  divided  like  two 
horns.  He  looked  so  queer,  and  resembled  a  Rab- 
bit so  much,  that  Bad  Wild  Cat  said,  "  How  did 
you  get  that  split  nose? " 

"  That  is  very  simple,"  said  the  Doctor.  "  Once 
I  was  hammering  wampum  beads,  and  the  stone 
I  beat  them  on  broke  in  halves,  and  a  piece  flew 
up  and  split  my  nose." 

"But,"  said  Bad  Wild  Cat,  "why  are  the 
soles  of  your  feet  yellow  like  a  Rabbit's?" 

"  That  is  very  simple,"  replied  the  Doctor. 
"  Once  I  was  preparing  tobacco,  and  had  to  hold 
it  down  with  my  feet,  for  I  needed  both  my  hands 
to  work  with." 


BAD  WILD  CAT  317 

Then  Bad  Wild  Cat  was  satisfied  and  did  not 
suspect  any  more,  and  let  the  Doctor  put  cooling 
salve  on  his  wound,  and  soon  he  felt  better.  Be- 
fore the  Doctor  left,  he  placed  a  little  pitcher  of 
wine  by  Bad  Wild  Cat's  side,  so  that  he  might 
refresh  himself  in  the  night.  Then  he  departed, 
and  Bad  Wild  Cat  went  to  sleep. 

But,  oh!  the  wretchedness  in  the  morning! 
For  when  Bad  Wild  Cat  woke,  he  was  lying  in  the 
deep  snow.  His  head  was  swollen,  and  the  horrid 
wound  was  stuffed  with  Hemlock  needles  and 
Pine  splinters.  And  this  was  the  cooling  salve 
the  Doctor  had  applied!  As  for  the  pitcher  of 
wine,  it  was  still  left  in  the  snow,  just  a  little 
Pitcher  Plant  full  of  foul  water. 

Up  jumped  Bad  Wild  Cat,  and  he  swore  by 
his  tail,  teeth,  claws,  and  eyes  that  he  would  be 
revenged.    And  he  groaned  as  he  went :  — 

"Oh!  howl  hate  him! 
How  I  despise  him ! 
How  I  laugh  at  him! 
Oh!  may  I  scalp  him!" 

Well,  by  this  time  Master  Rabbit's  magic  had 
almost  given  out,  and  he  had  just  enough  left  for 


318       THE  RED  INDIAN  FAIRY  BOOK 

one  more  trick.  So  coming  to  a  lake,  he  picked 
up  a  chip,  and  threw  it  into  the  water,  and  it  be- 
came a  great  ship  such  as  white  men  build,  and 
Master  Rabbit  was  the  captain. 

And  when  Bad  Wild  Cat  came  up,  he  saw  the 
ship  with  sails  spread  and  banners  flying.  The 
captain  stood  on  the  deck  with  folded  arms ;  while 
on  either  side  of  his  cocked  hat  rose  two  points 
like  grand  and  stately  horns. 

But  Bad  Wild  Cat  cried  out,  "  I  know  you, 
Master  Rabbit !  You  cannot  escape  me  this  time ! 
I  have  you  now !  "  And  he  leaped  into  the  water, 
and  swam  toward  the  ship.  Then  the  captain  or- 
dered his  men  to  fire  all  the  guns,  and  they  did 
so  with  a  bang. 

And  Bad  Wild  Cat  was  frightened  almost  to 
death !  He  swam  back  to  the  shore,  and  ran  into 
the  forest;  and  if  he  is  not  dead,  he  is  running 
there  still. 


HOW  THE   FOUR  WINDS  WERE   NAMED 

(Iroquois) 

When  the  world  was  first  made,  says  the  old 
Iroquois  Grandmother,  Gaoh,  the  mighty  Master 
of  the  Winds  dwelt  in  his  lodge  in  the  Western 
Sky.  So  fierce  was  he  and  so  strong  that  had  he 
wandered  freely  through  the  heavens,  he  would 
have  torn  the  world  in  pieces.  So  he  stayed  in 
the  Western  Sky,  and,  blowing  a  loud  blast, 
summoned  the  creatures  of  Earth  to  ask  them  for 
help. 

And  when  his  call  had  ceased,  and  its  thun- 
dering echoes  had  died  away,  Gaoh  opened  the 
north  door  of  his  lodge  wide  across  the  Sky. 
Immediately  the  thick  snow  fell,  and  a  fierce  wind 
tore  around  the  lodge.  And  lo !  there  came  lum- 
bering up  the  Sky,  Yaogah,  the  bulky  Bear.  Bat- 
tling with  the  storm  and  growling  loudly,  the 
Bear  took  his  place  at  Gaoh's  north  door. 

"O  Bear,  you  are  strong,"  said  Gaoh.  "You 
can  freeze  the  waters  with  your  cold  breath.  In 
your  broad  arms  you  can  carry  the  mad  tempest, 


320       THE  RED  INDIAN  FAIRY  BOOK 

and  clasp  the  whole  Earth  when  I  bid  you  de- 
stroy. Therefore  you  shall  live  in  the  North,  and 
watch  my  herd  of  Winter  Winds  when  I  let  them 
loose  upon  the  Earth.  You  shall  be  the  North 
Wind.  Enter  your  house." 

And  straightway  the  Bear  bent  his  head,  and 
Gaoh  bound  him  with  a  leash,  and  placed  him  in 
the  Northern  Sky. 

Then  Gaoh  trumpeted  a  shrill  blast,  and  threw 
open  the  west  door  of  his  lodge,  summoning  the 
creatures.  Clouds  began  to  cover  the  Sky.  An 
ugly  darkness  filled  the  world.  Strange  voices 
shrieked  and  snarled  around  the  lodge.  And  with 
a  noise  like  great  claws  tearing  the  heavens,  Da- 
joji,  the  Panther,  sprang  to  Gaoh's  west  door. 

"O  Panther,  you  are  ugly  and  fierce,"  said 
Gaoh.  "  You  can  tear  down  the  forests.  You  can 
carry  the  whirlwind  on  your  strong  back.  You 
can  toss  the  waves  of  the  sea  high  into  the  air,  and 
snarl  at  the  tempests  if  they  stray  from  my  door. 
You  shall  be  the  West  Wind.  Enter  your  house." 

And  straightway  the  Panther  bent  his  head, 
and  Gaoh  bound  him  with  a  leash,  and  placed 
him  in  the  Western  Sky. 


HOW   THE  WINDS  WERE  NAMED     321 

Then  Gaoh  sent  forth  a  sighing  call,  and  threw 
open  the  east  door  of  his  lodge,  summoning  the 
creatures.  There  arose  a  sobbing  and  a  moaning. 
The  Sky  shivered  in  the  cold  rain.  The  Earth 
lay  in  grey  mist.  There  came  a  crackling  sound 
like  the  noise  of  great  horns  crashing  through 
forest  trees,  and  Oyandone,  the  mighty  Moose, 
stood  stamping  his  hoofs  at  Gaoh's  east  door. 

"O  Moose,"  said  Gaoh,  "your  breath  blows 
the  grey  mist  and  sends  down  the  cold  rain  upon 
the  Earth.  Your  horns  spread  wide  and  can  push 
back  the  trees  of  the  forests  to  widen  the  paths 
for  my  storms.  With  your  swift  hoofs  you  can 
race  with  the  winds.  You  shall  be  the  East  Wind. 
Enter  your  house." 

And  straightway  the  Moose  bent  his  head,  and 
Gaoh  bound  him  with  a  leash,  and  placed  him  in 
the  Eastern  Sky. 

Yet  Gaoh  was  not  content,  for  there  remained 
still  one  door  to  open.  He  threw  it  wide  to  the 
south,  and  in  gentle  tones  like  sweetest  music 
summoned  the  creatures.  A  caressing  breeze  stole 
through  the  lodge,  and  with  it  came  the  fragrance 
of  a  thousand  sweet  flowers,  the  soft  call  of  bab- 


322       THE  RED  INDIAN  FAIRY  BOOK 

bling  brooks,  and  the  voices  of  birds  telling  the 
secrets  of  Summer.  And  daintily  lifting  her  feet, 
ran  Neoga,  the  brown-eyed  Fawn,  and  stood  tim- 
idly waiting  at  Gaoh's  south  door. 

"  O  gentle  Fawn,"  said  Gaoh,  "you  walk  with 
the  Summer  Sun,  and  know  its  most  beautiful 
paths.  You  are  kind  like  the  Sunbeam,  and  feed 
on  dew  and  fragrance.  You  will  rule  my  flock  of 
Summer  breezes  in  peace  and  joy.  You  shall  be 
the  South  Wind.  Enter  your  house." 

And  straightway  the  Fawn  bent  her  head,  and 
Gaoh  bound  her  with  a  leash,  and  placed  her  in 
the  Southern  Sky. 

And  now,  when  the  North  Wind  blows  strong, 
the  old  Iroquois  Grandmother  says,  "  The  Bear 
is  prowling  in  the  Sky."  And  if  the  West  Wind 
snarls  around  the  tent  door,  she  says,  "  The  Pan- 
ther is  whining."  When  the  East  Wind  chills  the 
tent  with  mist  and  rain,  she  says,  "  The  Moose  is 
spreading  his  breath."  But  when  the  South  Wind 
caresses  her  cheek,  and  wafts  soft  voices  and 
sweet  odours  through  the  tent,  she  smilingly 
says,  "  The  Fawn  is  going  home  to  her  mother, 
the  Doe." 


LEGEND  OF  THE  TRAILING  ARBUTUS 

(Iroquois} 

Many,  many  Moons  ago,  in  the  far  Northern 
Land  beside  the  Lakes,  there  lived  an  old  man 
alone  in  his  lodge.  His  locks  were  long,  and 
white  with  Age  and  Frost.  The  fur  of  the  Bear 
and  the  Beaver  covered  his  body,  but  none 
too  warmly,  for  the  snow  and  ice  were  every- 
where. 

Over  all  the  Earth  was  Winter.  The  North 
Wind  rushed  down  the  mountain-side,  and  shook 
the  branches  of  trees  and  bushes  as  it  searched 
for  song-birds  to  chill  to  the  heart.  But  all  liv- 
ing creatures  had  crept  into  their  holes,  and  even 
the  bad  Spirits  had  dug  caves  for  themselves  in 
the  ice  and  snow. 

Lonely  and  halting,  the  old  man  went  out  into 
the  forest  seeking  wood  for  his  fire.  Only  a  few 
fagots  could  he  find,  and  in  despair  he  again 
sought  his  lodge.  He  laid  the  fagots  on  the  fire, 
and  soon  they  were  burned;  and  he  crouched 
over  the  dying  embers. 


324       THE  RED  INDIAN  FAIRY  BOOK 

The  wind  moaned  in  the  tree-tops,  and  a  sud- 
den gust  blew  aside  the  skin  of  the  Great  Bear 
hanging  before  the  door.  And,  lo,  a  beautiful 
maiden  entered  the  lodge. 

Her  cheeks  were  red  like  the  petals  of  Wild 
Roses.  Her  eyes  were  large  and  glowed  like  the 
eyes  of  the  Fawn  at  night.  Her  hair  was  black 
like  the  wing  of  the  Crow,  and  so  long  that  it 
trailed  upon  the  ground.  Her  hands  were  filled 
with  Willow  buds,  and  on  her  head  was  a  crown 
of  flowers.  Her  mantle  was  woven  with  sweet 
grasses  and  ferns,  and  her  moccasins  were  white 
Lilies  laced  and  embroidered  with  petals  of 
Honeysuckles.  When  she  breathed,  the  air  of 
the  lodge  became  fragrant  and  warmer,  and  the 
cold  wind  rushed  back  in  affright. 

The  old  man  gazed  on  her  in  wonder.  "  My 
daughter,"  said  he,  "you  are  welcome  to  the 
poor  shelter  of  my  cheerless  lodge!  It  is  cold 
and  desolate,  for  I  have  not  wood  enough  to  keep 
my  fire  burning!  Come,  sit  beside  me,  and  tell 
me  who  you  are,  that  you  wander  like  a  Deer 
through  the  forest.  Tell  me  also  of  your  country 
and  your  people  who  gave  you  such  beauty  and 


LEGEND   OF  THE   TRAILING  ARBUTUS    325 

grace.  Then  I,  who  am  the  mighty  Winter,  will 
tell  you  of  my  great  deeds." 

The  maiden  smiled,  and  the  sunlight  streamed 
forth  from  the  grey  clouds  and  shot  its  warmth 
through  the  roof  of  the  lodge.  Then  Winter  filled 
his  pipe  of  friendship,  and  when  he  had  put  it  to 
his  lips,  he  said  :  — 

"I  blow  the  breath  from  my  nostrils  and  the 
waters  of  the  rivers  stand  still,  and  the  great 
waves  of  the  lakes  rest,  and  the  murmurings  of 
the  streams  die  away  in  silence." 

"You  are  great  and  strong,"  said  the  maiden, 
"and  the  waters  know  the  touch  of  your  breath. 
But  I  am  loved  by  the  birds,  and  when  I  smile 
the  flowers  spring  up  all  over  the  forest,  and  the 
meadows  are  carpeted  with  green." 

"I  shake  my  locks,"  said  Winter,  "and,  lo, 
the  Earth  is  wrapped  in  a  covering  of  snow !  " 

"  I  breathe  into  the  air,"  said  the  maiden,  "and 
the  warm  rains  come,  and  the  covering  of  snow 
vanishes  like  the  darkness  when  the  sun  awakens 
and  rises  from  its  bed  in  the  morning." 

"I  walk  about,"  said  Winter,  "and  the  leaves 
die  on  the  trees,   and  fall  to  the  ground.    The 


326       THE  RED  INDIAN  FAIRY  BOOK 

birds  desert  their  nests  and  fly  away  beyond  the 
lakes.  The  animals  hide  themselves  in  their 
holes." 

"  Oh  !  great  are  you,  Winter,"  said  the  maiden, 
"  and  your  name  is  to  be  feared  by  all  living  things 
in  the  land!  Cruel  are  you,  Winter!  More  cruel 
and  cunning  than  the  tortures  of  the  Red  Men! 
Your  strength  is  greater  than  the  strength  of  the 
forest  trees,  for  do  you  not  rend  them  with  power- 
ful hands  ? 

"  But  when  I,  the  gentle  maiden,  walk  forth, 
the  trees  burst  into  leaves,  and  the  sweet  birds 
build  again  their  nests  in  the  branches.  The 
winds  sing  soft  and  pleasant  music  to  the  ears 
of  the  Red  Man,  while  his  wife  and  papooses 
sport  in  the  warm  sunshine  near  his  wigwam." 

As  the  maiden  ceased  speaking,  the  lodge  be- 
came very  warm  and  bright.  But  the  boasting 
Winter  heeded  it  not,  for  his  head  drooped  upon 
his  breast,  and  he  slept.  The  maiden  passed  her 
hands  above  his  head,  and  he  grew  smaller  and 
smaller. 

The  bluebirds  came  and  filled  the  trees  about 
the  lodge,  and  sang;  and  the  rivers  lifted  their 


LEGEND   OF   THE  TRAILING  ARBUTUS    327 

waves  and  foamed  and  leaped  along.  Streams  of 
water  flowed  from  Winter's  mouth,  and  he  van- 
ished away,  while  his  garments  turned  into  glis- 
tering leaves. 

Then  the  maiden  knelt  upon  the  ground,  and 
took  from  her  bosom  a  cluster  of  delicate  flowers, 
fragrant  and  rose-white.  She  hid  them  beneath 
the  leaves,  and  breathing  on  them  with  love, 
whispered :  — 

"  I  give  you,  O  precious  jewels,  all  my  virtues 
and  my  sweetest  breath.  Men  shall  pluck  you 
with  bowed  head  and  bended  knee." 

Then  she  arose,  and  moved  joyously  over  the 
plains,  and  among  the  hills,  and  through  the  val- 
leys. The  birds  and  the  winds  sang  together, 
while  the  flowers  everywhere  lifted  up  their  heads 
and  greeted  her  with  fragrance. 

So  always  in  the  early  Spring,  wherever  the 
maiden  stepped,  grows  the  Trailing  Arbutus. 


THE    END 


SUBJECT   INDEX 


SUBJECT  INDEX 


Affection:  Brother  and  Sister,  253;  Chestnut  Kettle,  152;  Hidden  Waters, 

237;  Little  Owl  Boy,  142;  Young-Boy-Chief,  73. 
Ambition,  Inordinate:  Boy  Who  Became  a  Robin,  33;  Coyote  the  Proud, 

181 ;  Discontented  Rock,  278;  How  Partridge  Built  the  Birds'  Canoes, 

102;  Why  the  Turkey  Gobbles,  194. 
Animal  Friends:  Brother  and  Sister,  253;  Firebird,  69;  Hidden  Waters, 

237I  Jowiis,  243;  Kind  Hawk,  31;  Legend  of  the  Morning  Star,  63; 

Little  Corn-Bringer,  126;  Mud  Pony,  211;  Pitcher  the  Witch,  165; 

Poor  Turkey  Girl,  199;  Wind-Blower,  108;  Woodpecker  Gray,  29; 

Young-Boy-Chief,  73. 
Arbour  Day.  See  Trees  and  Arbour  Day. 
Arbutus:  Legend  of  the  Trailing  Arbutus,  323. 
Aurora  Borealis.  See  Northern  Lights. 

Autumn:  How  Maple-Sugar  Came,  291;  Meadow  Dandelion,  14;  Nuts  of 
Jonisgyont,  133;  see  also  Corn. 

Ball-Games:  Birds'  Ball-Game,  189;  Land  of  the  Northern  Lights,  196; 

Why  the  Turkey  Gobbles,  194. 
Bats:  Ahneah,  88;  Birds'  Ball-Game,  189. 
Beans:  Spirit  of  the  Corn,  123. 
Bears:  Birds'  Ball-Game,  189;  Brother  and  Sister,  253;  Hidden  Waters, 

237;  How  the  Four  Winds  Were  Named,  319;  Ugly  Wild  Boy,  158. 
Bees.  See  Bumblebees. 
Birch  Trees  and  Birch-Bark:  How  the  Hunter  Became  a  Partridge,  98; 

Little  Burnt-Face,  17. 
Birds  and  Bird  Day:  Birds'  Ball-Game,  189;  Boy  Who  Became  a  Robin, 

33;  Coyote  the  Proud,  181;  Discontented  Rock,  278;  Firebird,  69; 

How  Partridge  Built  the  Birds'  Canoes,  102;  How  the  Fairies  Came 

49;  How  the  Hunter  Became  a  Partridge,  98;  Kind  Hawk,  31 ;  Legend 

of  the  Morning  Star,  63;  Little  Corn-Bringer,  126;  Wind-Blower,  108; 

Woodpecker  Gray,  29. 
Blackbird  :  Legend  of  the  Morning  Star,  63. 

Bluebird:  Coyote  the  Proud,  181 ;  Legend  of  the  Morning  Star,  63. 
Brothers  and  Sisters:  Brother  and  Sister,  253;  Chestnut  Kettle,  152; 


332  SUBJECT  INDEX 

Little  Burnt-Face,  17;  Little  Corn-Bringer,  126;  Magic  Windpipe, 

183;  Young- Boy-Chief,  73. 
Buffalo:  Brother  and  Sister,  253;  Little  Owl  Boy,  142;  Magic  Windpipe, 

183;  Mud  Pony,  211. 
Bumblebees:  Magic  Windpipe,  183. 

Cactus:  Little  Corn-Bringer,  126. 

Canons:  Little  Dawn  Boy,  7. 

Caribou.  See  Deer. 

Cats:  Pitcher  the  Witch,  165. 

Chestnuts:  Chestnut  Kettle,  152. 

Chipmunks:  Noisy  Chipmunk,  105. 

Cold  Weather.  See  Snow  and  Ice;  also  Winter. 

Contentment  and  Discontentment:  Discontented  Rock,  278. 

Corn:  How  Indian  Corn  Came,  117;  Little  Corn-Bringer,  126;  Spirit  of 

the  Corn,  123. 
Courageous  Adventure:  Chestnut  Kettle,  152;  First  Pine  Trees,  234; 

Little  Dawn  Boy,  7;  Little  Owl  Boy,  142 ;  Mikumwess,  225;  Mishosha, 

295;  Shingebiss,  246;  Sky  Elk,  60;  Snow  Man,  263;  Ugly  Wild  Boy, 

158;  Young-Boy-Chief,  73. 
Coyotes:  Brother  and  Sister,  253;  Coyote  the  Hungry,  175;  Coyote  the 

Proud,  181;  Magic  Windpipe,  183;  Rolling  Rock,  271. 
Cruelty:  Boy  Who  Became  a  Robin,  33;  Brother  and  Sister,  253;  Little 

Burnt-Face,  17. 
Curiosity:  Chestnut  Kettle,  152;  Coyote  the  Hungry,  175. 

Dandelions:  Meadow  Dandelion,  14. 

Datilas:  Ugly  Wild  Boy,  158. 

Dawn  Maid:  Legend  of  the  Morning  Star,  63;  Sky  Elk,  60. 

Deer:  Boy  in  the  Moon,  276;  Brother  and  Sister,  253;  Hidden  Waters, 
237;  How  the  Four  Winds  Were  Named,  319;  Sky  Elk,  60;  Young- 
Boy-Chief,  73. 

Dexterity:  Birds'  Ball-Game,  189. 

Discontent.  See  Contentment  and  Discontentment. 

Disobedience.  See  Obedience  and  Disobedience. 

Dogs:  Young-Boy-Chief,  73. 

Drought:  Little  Corn-Bringer,  126;  Spirit  of  the  Corn,  123. 

Ducks:  Mikumwess,  225;  Shingebiss,  246. 

Duty:  Elves,  25;  Firebird,  69;  Spirit  of  the  Corn,  123. 

Eagles:  Birds'  Ball-Game,  189;  Jowiis,  243;  Mishosha,  295. 


SUBJECT   INDEX  333 

Earthquakes:  First  Pine  Trees,  234. 

Eels:  How  Master  Rabbit  Went  Fishing,  306;  Wind-Blower,  108. 
Elk.  See  Deer. 

Endurance:  Boy  Who  Became  a  Robin,  33;  How  Indian  Corn  Came,  117; 
Shingebiss,  246;  Snow  Man,  263. 

Fairies  and  Elves:  Elves,  25;  How  Maple-Sugar  Came,  291;  How  the 

Fairies  Came,  49;  Leelinau,  57;  Mikumwess,  225;  Pitcher  the  Witch, 

165;  Summer  Fairies,  54. 
Fall.  See  Autumn. 
Fathers:  Boy  Who  Became  a  Robin,  33;  How  Indian  Corn  Came,  117; 

Silver  Brooches,  lit. 
Featherwoman:  Star  Bride,  80. 
Fire:  Firebird,  69. 
Fish  and  Fishing:  How  Master  Rabbit  Went  Fishing,  306;  Mishosha, 

295;  Shingebiss,  246;  Silver  Brooches,  m;  Wind-Blower,  108. 
Flowers  and  Flower  Day:  Legend  of  the  Trailing  Arbutus,  323;  Legend 

of  the  Violet,  37;  Meadow  Dandelion,  14;  Spring  Beauty,  3;  Star  and 

the  Water  Lilies,  40;  Why  Wild  Roses  Have  Thorns,  45. 
Foolishness:  Wishes,  220. 
Forests  and  Woods:  First  Pine  Trees,  234;  How  the  Hunter  Became  a 

Partridge,  98;  Noisy  Chipmunk,  105;  Nuts  of  Jonisgyont,  133. 
Foxes:  Pitcher  the  Witch,  165;  Rolling  Rock,  271. 
Friendliness.    See  Affection;  also  Animal  Friends;  Kindness  and 

Goodness. 
Frogs:  Nuts  of  Jonisgyont,  133. 
Frost:  Little  Corn-Bringer,  126. 
Fruit:  Elves,  25;  Ugly  Wild  Boy,  158. 

Gaoh:  How  the  Four  Winds  were  Named,  319. 

Gayewas:  Silver  Brooches,  in 

Giants:  Noisy  Chipmunk,  105;  Summer  Fairies,  54. 

Glooskap:  First  Pine  Trees,  234;  Mikumwess,  225;  Pitcher  the  Witch, 

165;  Summer  Fairies,  54;  Wishes,  220. 
Goodness.  See  Kindness  and  Goodness. 
Grandfathers:  Boy  in  the  Jug,  250. 
Grandmothers:  How  Maple-Sugar  Came,  291;  How  Master  Rabbit 

Went  Fishing,  306;  Noisy  Chipmunk,  105;  Ugly  Wild  Boy,  158; 

Woodpecker  Girls,  309. 
Gratitude  and  Ingratitude:  Poor  Turkey  Girl,  199. 
Greed.  See  Selfishness  and  Greed. 


334  SUBJECT  INDEX 

Grouse:  Why  the  Turkey  Gobbles,  194. 

Growth  in  Nature:  Elves,  25;  How  Indian  Corn  Came,  117;  Little  Corn- 

Bringer,  126;  Spirit  of  the  Corn,  123. 
Gulls:  Mishosha,  295;  Pitcher  the  Witch,  165. 
Gustahote:  Discontented  Rock,  278. 

Halloween:  Ahneah,  88;  Little  Owl  Boy,  142;  Nuts  of  Jonisgyont,  133; 

Pitcher  the  Witch,  165. 
Harvest:  How  Indian  Corn  Came,  117;  Little  Corn-Bringer,  126;  Nuts 

of  Jonisgyont,  133;  Spirit  of  the  Corn,  123;  Ugly  Wild  Boy,  158. 
Hawks:  Kind  Hawk,  31;  Legend  of  the  Morning  Star,  63. 
Herbs.  See  Plants  and  Herbs. 
Herons:  Chestnut  Kettle,  152. 
Hummingbirds:  Little  Corn-Bringer,  126. 
Hunting:  [Boy  in  the  Jug,  250;  Brother  and  Sister,  253;  How  the  Hunter 

Became  a  Partridge,  98;  Little  Owl  Boy,  142;  Magic  Windpipe,  183; 

Mud  Pony,  211 ;  Sky  Elk,  60;  Young-Boy-Chief,  73. 

Ice.  See  Snow  and  Ice. 

Ingratitude.  See  Gratitude  and  Ingratitude. 

Islands:  How  the  Fairies  Came,  49;  Mishosha,  295. 

Justice:  Nuts  of  Jonisgyont,  133. 

Kabibonokka:  Meadow  Dandelion,  14. 

Kindness  and  Goodness:  Brother  and  Sister,  253;  Firebird,  69;  How 
Indian  Corn  Came,  117;  Jowiis,  243;  Little  Burnt-Face,  17. 

Lakes:  Coyote  the  Proud,  181;  Leelinau,  57;  Legend  of  Niagara,  95; 

Mishosha,  295;  Silver  Brooches,  in;  Singing  Maidens,  282;  Star  and 

the  Water  Lilies,  40. 
Laziness:  Meadow  Dandelion,  14. 
Lilies:  Star  and  the  Water  Lilies,  40. 
Loons:  Mikumwess,  225. 
Lying:  Coyote  the  Hungry,  175;  Poor  Turkey  Girl,  199. 

Magic  and  Magicians:  Bad  Wild  Cat,  312;  First  Pine  Trees,  234;  Little 
Corn-Bringer,  126;  Little  Dawn  Boy,  7;  Little  Owl  Boy,  142;  Magic 
Windpipe,  183;  Mikumwess,  225;  Mishosha,  295;  Wishes,  220. 

Maize.  See  Corn. 

Maple  Trees  and  Maple-Sugar:  How  Maple-Sugar  Came,  291;  Misho- 
sha, 295. 


SUBJECT   INDEX  335 

Martin  the  Fairy:  First  Pine  Trees,  234;  Mikumwess,  225;  Pitcher  the 

Witch,  165;  Wishes,  220. 
May  Day:  Elves,  25;  How  the  Four  Winds  Were  Named,  319;  Legend  of 

the  Trailing  Arbutus,  323;  Legend  of  the  Violet,  37;  Little  Dawn 

Boy,  7;  Meadow  Dandelion,  14;  Spring  Beauty,  3;  Star  and  the  Water 

Lilies,  40;  Why  Wild  Roses  Have  Thorns,  45. 
Mesas:  Poor  Turkey  Girl,  199;  Ugly  Wild  Boy,  158. 
Midsummer  Night.  See  Fairies  and  Elves. 

Milky  Way:  Land  of  the  Northern  Lights,  196;  Little  Burnt-Face,  17. 
Mondawmin:  How  Indian  Corn  Came,  117. 

Moon:  Boy  in  the  Moon,  276;  Leelinau,  57;  Scar-Face,  84;  Star  Bride,  80. 
Moose.  See  Deer. 
Mosquitoes:  Pitcher  the  Witch,  165. 
Mothers  and  Mothers'  Day:  Boy  in  the  Jug,  250;  Firebird,  69;  Little 

Owl  Boy,  142. 
Music  and  Singing:  Silver  Brooches,  ill;  Singing  Maidens,  282;  Star 

Maiden,  285 ;  Wishes,  220. 

Nanahboozhoo:  How  Maple-Sugar  Came,  291;  Why  Wild  Roses  Have 

Thorns,  45. 
Niagara  Falls:  Legend  of  Niagara,  95. 
Noisiness:  Little  Owl  Boy,  142;  Noisy  Chipmunk,  105. 
Northern  Lights:  Land  of  the  Northern  Lights,  196;  Mikumwess,  225. 
Nuts:  Chestnut  Kettle,  152;  Nuts  of  Jonisgyont,  133;  Ugly  Wild  Boy,  158. 

Obedience  and  Disobedience:  Boy  Who  Became  a  Robin,  33;  Little 
Owl  Boy,  142;  Noisy  Chipmunk,  105;  Singing  Maidens,  282;  Star 
Bride,  80. 

Oceans:  Discontented  Rock,  278;  Pitcher  the  Witch,  165;  Scar-Face,  84; 
Wind-Blower,  108. 

Onatah:  Spirit  of  the  Corn,  123. 

Opeechee:  Boy  Who  Became  a  Robin,  33. 

Opossums:  Coyote  the  Hungry,  175. 

Osseo:  How  the  Fairies  Came,  49. 

Otters  :  How  Master  Rabbit  Went  Fishing,  306. 

Owls:  Ahneah,  88;  Little  Owl  Boy,  142. 

Panthers:  Brother  and  Sister,  253;  How  the  Four  Winds  Were  Named, 

319- 
Partridges:  How  Partridge  Built  the  Birds'  Canoes,  102 ;  How  the  Hunter 
Became  a  Partridge,  98. 


336  SUBJECT   INDEX 

Peboan:  Spring  Beauty,  3. 

Pine  Trees:  First  Pine  Trees,  234;  Leelinau,  57;  Nuts  of  Jonisgyont,  133. 

Pinon  Trees:  Ugly  Wild  Boy,  158. 

Plains.  See  Prairies  and  Plains. 

Plants  and  Herbs:  Hidden  Waters,  237;  How  Indian  Corn  Came,  117; 

Little  Corn-Bringer,  126;  Little  Dawn  Boy,  7;  Spirit  of  the  Corn,  123. 
Pleiades:  Singing  Maidens,  282;  Star  Maiden,  285. 
Ponies:  Mud  Pony,  21 1. 

Porcupine  Quills:  Brother  and  Sister,  253;  Little  Owl  Boy,  142. 
Prairies  and  Plains:  Coyote  the  Hungry,  175;  How  Indian  Corn  Came, 

117;  Little  Owl  Boy,  142;  Magic  Windpipe,  183;  Mud  Pony,  211 ;  Star 

Bride,  80;  Young-Boy-Chief,  73. 
Pride,  Inordinate:  Boy  Who  Became  a  Robin,  33;  Coyote  the  Proud, 

181 ;  How  Master  Rabbit  Went  Fishing,  306;  How  Partridge  Built  the 

Birds'  Canoes,  102;  Woodpecker  Girls,  309. 
Procrastination:  Meadow  Dandelion,  14. 
Puget  Sound:  Firebird,  69. 

Rabbits:  Bad  Wild  Cat,  312;  Boy  in  the  Jug,  250;  Hidden  Waters,  237; 

How  Master  Rabbit  Went  Fishing,  306;  Why  Wild  Roses  Have 

Thorns,  45 ;  Woodpecker  Girls,  309. 
Raccoons:  How  the  Hunter  Became  a  Partridge,  98. 
Rainbows:  Little  Dawn  Boy,  7. 
Retribution:  Coyote  the  Hungry,  175;  Coyote  the  Proud,  181;  Magic 

Windpipe,  183;  Mishosha,  295;  Poor  Turkey  Girl,  199;  Rolling  Rock, 

271;  Wishes,  220. 
Rivers:  Discontented  Rock,  278;  Legend  of  the  Morning  Star,  63. 
Robins:  Boy  Who  Became  a  Robin,  33. 
Rocks:  Discontented  Rock,  278;  Rolling  Rock,  271. 
Romances:  Ahneah,  88;  Leelinau,  57;  Legend  of  the  Morning  Star,  63; 

Legend  of  the  Violet,  37;  Little  Burnt-Face,  17;  Scar-Face,  84;  Silver 

Brooches,  III;  Star  Bride,  80;  Star  Maiden,  285. 
Roses:  Star  and  the  Water  Lilies,  40;  Why  Wild  Roses  Have  Thorns,  45. 

St.  Valentine's  Day.  See  Romances. 

Seas.  See  Oceans. 

Seasons,  Changes  of:  How  the  Four  Winds  Were  Named,  319;  Legend 
of  the  Morning  Star,  63 ;  Legend  of  the  Trailing  Arbutus,  323 ;  Meadow 
Dandelion,  14;  Spring  Beauty,  3;  Summer  Fairies,  54. 

Seed  Planting:  Little  Corn-Bringer,  126;  Spirit  of  the  Corn,  123. 

Seegwun:  Spring  Beauty,  3. 


SUBJECT   INDEX  337 

Selfishness  and  Greed:  Coyote  the  Hungry,  175;  Nuts  of  Jonisgyont, 

133;  Rolling  Rock,  271. 
Shawondasee:  Meadow  Dandelion,  14. 
Singing.  See  Music  and  Singing. 
Sisters.  See  Brothers  and  Sisters. 
Sky  Land:  How  the  Fairies  Came,  49;  Legend  of  the  Morning  Star,  63; 

Singing  Maidens,  282;  Scar-Face,  84;  Sky  Elk,  60;  Star  Bride,  80; 

Star  Maiden,  285. 
Snow  and  Ice:  Bad  Wild  Cat,  312;  Boy  in  the  Jug,  250;  Hidden  Waters, 

237;  How  Master  Rabbit  Went  Fishing,  306;  Jowiis,  243;  Mishosha, 

295;  Shingebiss,  246;  Snow  Man,  263;  Spring  Beauty,  3;  Summer 

Fairies,  54. 
Sosondowah:  Legend  of  the  Morning  Star,  63;  Sky  Elk,  60. 
SprDER  Man:  Star  Bride,  80. 

Springs  and  Wells:  Ahneah,  88;  Hidden  Waters,  237. 
Springtime:  How  Maple-Sugar  Came,  291;  How  the  Four  Winds  Were 
•  Named,  319;  Legend  of  the  Trailing  Arbutus,  323;  Spring  Beauty,  3. 
Spruce  Trees:  Ahneah,  88. 
Squash:  Spirit  of  the  Corn,  123. 

Squirrels:  Birds'  Ball-Game,  189;  Nuts  of  Jonisgyont,  133. 
Stars:  How  the  Fairies  Came,  49;  Legend  of  the  Morning  Star,  63;  Scar- 
Face,  84;  Singing  Maidens,  282;  Star  and  the  Water  Lilies,  40;  Star 

Bride,  80;  Star  Maiden,  285. 
Stealing:  Magic  Windpipe,  183;  Nuts  of  Jonisgyont,  133. 
Storms:  How  the  Four  Winds  Were  Named,  319;  Singing  Maidens, 

282. 
Strawberries:  Elves,  25. 

Summer:  Meadow  Dandelion,  14;  Summer  Fairies,  54. 
Sun:  Scar- Face,  84;  Singing  Maidens,  282;  Spirit  of  the  Corn,  123;  Star 

Bride,  80. 
Sunflowers:  Little  Corn-Bringer,  126. 

Terrapins:  Birds'  Ball-Game,  189. 

Thankfulness  and  Thanksgiving  Day:  How  Indian  Corn  Came,  117; 
Little  Corn-Bringer,  126;  Nuts  of  Jonisgyont,  133;  Spirit  of  the  Corn, 
123;  Why  the  Turkey  Gobbles,  194;  see  also  Ball-Games,  and  Nuts. 

Trees  and  Arbour  Day:  Ahneah,  88;  First  Pine  Trees,  234;  How  Maple- 
Sugar  Came,  291 ;  How  the  Hunter  Became  a  Partridge,  98;  Mishosha, 
295 ;  Woodpecker  Girls,  309. 

Turkeys:  Coyote  the  Hungry,  175;  Poor  Turkey  Girl,  199;  Why  the  Tur- 
key Gobbles,  194. 


338  SUBJECT  INDEX 

Vanity:  Coyote  the  Proud,  181;  Wishes,  220. 
Violets:  Legend  of  the  Violet,  37. 

Water.  See  Lakes;  also  Oceans;  Springs  and  Wells. 

Waterfalls:  Legend  of  Niagara,  95. 

Water  Lilies:  Star  and  the  Water  Lilies,  40. 

Whales:  Pitcher  the  Witch,  165. 

Wild  Cats:  Bad  Wild  Cat,  312. 

Winds:  How  the  Four  Winds  Were  Named,  319;  Meadow  Dandelion,  14; 

Shingebiss,  246;  Snow  Man,  263;  Wind-Blower,  108. 
Winter:  Boy  in  the  Jug,  250;  Brother  and  Sister,  253;  Hidden  Waters, 

237 ;  Jowiis,  243 ;  Legend  of  the  Trailing  Arbutus,  323;  Shingebiss,  246; 

Snow  Man,  263;  Spring  Beauty,  3;  Summer  Fairies,  54. 
Witches:  Ahneah,  88;  Chestnut  Kettle,  152;  Pitcher  the  Witch,  165. 
Wolves:  Brother  and  Sister,  253. 
Woodchucks:  Nuts  of  Jonisgyont,  133. 
Woodpeckers:  Woodpecker  Girls,  309;  Woodpecker  Gray,  29. 
Woods.  See  Forests  and  Woods. 


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